In the course of negotiations about returning wartime operational command of Korean forces over to Korea, the United States has expressed no qualms about the issue. Indeed, it acts as if it welcomes the idea. The main opposition party and conservative organizations are trying to delay the negotiation process or stop it completely by making things up to have it look like there are problems. That is not a honest approach to dealing with an issue so important to long-term security strategy.
The other day, a U.S. Defense Department official said during a press briefing that he hoped to be able to correct the misunderstandings circulating in the Korean media; the media distortions must be pretty bad for him to have to say something like that. He went on to say that Korea’s request to retain wartime command makes sense from the U.S. point of view, as well, and that the time has come for this shift, considering the capabilities of the Korean military today.
So, there is no disagreement about the overall issue. Our two countries are discussing when to hand over wartime command, and the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled for this October is supposed to determine a timeframe. There could be differences of view on the details, but those are things that can be worked out in negotiations. As the official said, the two countries are looking for a good structure for maintaining the alliance over the long term.
The Grand National Party (GNP), however, defines the wartime command issue and other recent security issues as an "emergency situation for national security." It plans to continue to talk about what it calls a "security crisis" by, among other things, submitting to the National Assembly a "dismissal recommendation bill" for defense minister Yoon Kwang-ung. One GNP Assembly member said the government’s demand for wartime command authority incites anti-Americanism, and another says it could lead to the collapse of the South Korean state. The U.S. and Korea have agreed on discussing how to transfer authority, and yet it has something to do with the end of the Republic of Korea and anti-Americanism? However much the GNP may hate the current government and no matter how criticizing it may serve its interests, that does not justify a political offensive that gives the people anxiety about national security.
There are real issues that have to be settled in relation to receiving wartime command authority of the Korean military. For starters, Korea needs better intelligence, command, and communications capabilities. The government needs to keep the people adequately informed about the issue, and reasonable criticism has to be accommodated to the greatest extent possible. First, however, we would ask that the GNP and certain conservative groups would, if they really care about the national interest, refrain from politicizing this issue. You wonder to whose advantage it is for them to try to destroy what has been accomplished so far, without problem, on handing over wartime command.
[Editorial] Politics mar military command handover progress |
