Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha downplayed the chances of a new conflict on the Korean Peninsula, saying the situation must be solved diplomatically, and attacking is not an option.
Kang appeared to dismiss the risk of a war out of hand, saying that she is “certain” the United States would consult with South Korea before carrying out any unilateral attack on the North, and that they’d consider such an attack “unacceptable.”
Historically, South Korea has viewed itself as having veto power over any US attack on North Korea, though US officials recently have not made clear if they still consider that the case, or if they believe they could sneak attack without a southern imprimatur.
The old view may have been a product of North Korea being seen as almost exclusively a threat to South Korea, while US officials now brand them as a threat to the US mainland instead, which might be used by US hawks to argue that such a war could be prosecuted irrespective of South Korea’s wishes.
Wrong. It is an option as long as the US is afraid of a unified and independent Korea. It is an option as long as the US has the ability to project its military power to the region.
If the USA cares only for its own safety from attacks from the mighty North Korean arsenal, and cares not at all about its “ally” South Korea, this tells us how good a friend the USA is to have as an ally. Stop the cooperation and “exercises” with Big Brother USA, and the DPRK will no longer be a threat to the South.
You’re right, Rosemerry; this tells us how good a friend the US is to have as an ally. All S. Korea needs do is to stop the cooperation and “exercises” with Big Brother USA, and N. Korea will no longer be a threat to the South.e S.
What N. Korea wants is the end of the US presence on the Korean Peninsula .. In other words, leave the bases to the S. Koreans and come home; the Border Patrol agents trying to guard the southern border with Mexico surely need help from a brigade, or even a division, of well armed troops in protecting the 2,000+ miles of border from both illegal aliens and violent gangs and drug cartels.
I’d feel better if that was coming from Mattis. I can only imagine the laughter generated at the pentagon when this woman had the unmitigated gall to think she could dictate who they could or couldn’t attack.