USFK chief to skip South Korean Armed Forces Day event
United States Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams, right, and South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reach to link hands during the opening ceremony of the Seoul Defense Dialogue at Lotte Hotel Seoul on Sept. 5. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwon
By Jung Da-min
United States Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams is not going to attend the Republic of Korea's 71st Armed Forces Day event at the Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing base in Daegu, Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense's Armed Forces Day taskforce team said the day before.
“We've been notified (from the USFK) that Gen. Abrams would not be able to attend the Armed Forces Day event due to other schedules,” an official with the taskforce team said. He added that Abrams' absence was settled from the beginning. The USFK reportedly cited a meeting among U.S. four-star generals as well as the Association of the United States Army's 2019 Annual Meeting from Oct. 14 to 16 as a reason.
Abrams was also expected to attend the U.S. Armed Forces Welcome Ceremony for the 20th U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) early Tuesday (KST). South Korean JCS chairman Gen. Park Han-ki was also visiting Washington D.C., from Sunday to Wednesday to meet his U.S. counterpart Gen. Joseph Dunford, who is set to deliver the command to Gen. Mark Milley at the ceremony.
There had been some media reports in Seoul regarding Abrams' absence from the Armed Forces Day event that it could signal a possible rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance. But military officials and experts said it was unlikely as the absence was settled from the beginning of the planning process for the event. The USFK spokesman said they cannot comment on the USFK commander's schedule.
Instead of Gen. Abrams who also heads the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), CFC Deputy Commander Choi Byung-hyuk, a four-star South Korean general, will attend the event.
The attendance of high-ranking U.S. diplomats and military officials at Seoul's major diplomatic and military events has been drawing media attention amid speculation of rifts in the alliance between Seoul and Washington. This came after the South Korean government decided not to renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan.
“It was rare that some U.S. officials have officially said they were disappointed with Seoul's decision (on the GSOMIA),” said Cha Du-hyeogn, visiting research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He cited such tension between the U.S. and South Korea over Seoul's decision to end GSOMIA as the reason for such media scrutiny on U.S. officials' attendance at the South Korean government's events.
After South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Se-young summoned U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request the U.S. government “refrain” from publicly commenting or expressing displeasure on Seoul's decision over GSOMIA, Aug. 29, Harris' absence from the defense ministry's Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) from Sept. 4 to 6 also drew media attention. Harris was attending the Indian Ocean Conference in the Maldives.
Gen. Abrams attended the SDD to confirm the “ironclad” alliance between the countries. It was the first time for a USFK chief to attend the defense ministry's annual defense dialogue.