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| U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris speaks with The Korea Times at the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul, Dec. 23. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Yi Whan-woo
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris, like his predecessors, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the bilateral alliance and the presence of American troops in the South irrespective of the situation.
His reaffirmation, however, seems more meaningful now because it comes amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump is using a half-century-old alliance as a bargaining chip and that the alliance is unraveling.
"American forces are here to stay … It's not an American decision, not a Korean decision — it's an alliance decision like many of the decisions we have taken in the past years and decades," Harris said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times at the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul last week.
Embracing uncertainty and unpredictability, Trump has hinted at prioritizing U.S. interests at the costs of the alliance.
This led to speculation here that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) may be downsized or withdrawn over issues related to sharing defense costs and the need for the USFK's continued presence.
The issues range from ongoing negotiations for next year's Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing and a possible peace treaty with North Korea touted in 2018.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 signed by Trump, Dec. 20, includes provisions that restrict reducing USFK personnel below the current 28,500. But whether the NDAA will remain unchanged permanently is yet to be seen.
Against this backdrop, Harris said, "There is no contemplation of U.S. forces leaving the Korean Peninsula, either as an outcome of Special Measures Agreement discussions or as an outcome of relationships with North Korea."
In relation to the spread of China's influence in the region and the U.S. military presence in South Korea and Japan, Harris said it should be seen as "a part of a bigger geostrategic strategy" from the U.S. perspective.
"The U.S. presence in Korea, in Japan and elsewhere is a measure of stability for the region, not only in the Pacific but in NATO of course and other cases," he added.
The Trump administration had demanded that South Korea increase its contribution five-fold to $5 billion, which the South found unacceptable.
The $5 billion demand further stirred controversy when Lee Hye-hoon, a minor opposition Bareunmirae Party lawmaker and also chairwoman of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, claimed that Harris mentioned $5 billion multiple times during a meeting at his residence.
Harris did not verify whether this was true, explaining that the conversation was off the record and that talking about it would be a violation of trust.
He instead pointed out that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper denied a possible USFK drawdown recently amid a tug-of-war in the SMA negotiations.
Harris said this "comports well" with the NDAA, which he called "self-evident" in answer to a question over the U.S. commitment to South Korea's defense.
Asked whether the Trump administration's $5 billion demand was impulsive or the beginning of a shift in alliance policy, the ambassador said it was "neither one" but rather a move to seek "a more equitable balance."
Meanwhile, Harris preferred not to speculate over what North Korea's threatened "Christmas gift" could have been. He repeated that the U.S. was "prepared for all eventualities."
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| U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris smiles during an interview with The Korea Times at the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul, Dec. 23. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
The envoy disagreed with a view that the U.S. has been leaning toward Japan in the disputes concerning General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a military intelligence-sharing pact between the two East Asian allies that Washington sees as vital to the three-way security cooperation.
In tit-for-tat steps over historical and trade rows, Seoul decided in August to let GSOMIA expire, but reversed the decision just hours before the Nov. 22 deadline.
"We take the extra step of ensuring that our positions with regard to our allies are evenhanded. We don't favor Japan over Korea in a bilateral dispute between Japan and Korea," Harris said.
With the underlying dispute still remaining, Harris underscored the importance of normalizing Seoul-Tokyo ties for the trilateral security alliance.
"President Trump himself has said that when Japan and Korea get along, then all three nations prosper, but when they don't, then that it takes a lot of our time and energy and it creates openings for China and North Korea," Harris said.
Asked about the Huawei dispute, the envoy answered it was not about the U.S. seeking to seize the initiative over China in global competition for 5G wireless networks and technology.
"What we are concerned about is China's national intelligence law, which requires Chinese individuals and companies to subordinate themselves to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese People's Liberation Army," he said, adding that this has caused a problem for countries that share intelligence with the U.S. and yet want to use Huawei equipment.
After opening his residence — Habib House — to the public twice during his term, Harris said he plans to open it again to mark the birth centenary of former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Habib next year.
"We're going to spend a year commemorating the centenary of Philip Habib's birth; clearly open houses will be a part of that," he said.
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