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The strong protests lodged by the Korean government concerning statements by 8th U.S. Army commander Lt. Gen. Charles Campbell, who said during a meeting with the press that Korea-U.S. allied forces could be inserted in other areas outside the Korean Peninsula, shows just what state our alliance is in. Something directly linked to our security is revealed through the mouth of the commander of a foreign army based here, and our government "strongly protests" what was said only after learning about it through press reports. We wonder if the government will continue to insist that there is nothing wrong with the Korea-U.S. alliance after this. How the heck has the government been managing bilateral military and diplomatic channels so that now, our citizens had no choice but to hear news of such a grave matter straight from a U.S. commanding general?
Even more worrying is that we can see arrogance in the U.S. attitude toward the Korea-U.S. alliance in that it doesn't show consideration for its alliance partner. Issues related to U.S. troops stationed in Korea are ones in which U.S. interests should be foremost considered. Concerning changes in deployment of U.S. forces, however, it's usual practice to discuss the issue before hand with the other government. Moreover, what U.S. and Korean troops would be doing TOGETHER in areas OUTSIDE the Korean Peninsula is not something to be debated by the U.S. alone. That's doubly so In cases like this, where great confusion could be caused in our security, national direction and diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.
Right after Campbell's press conference, USFK said the general's statements were not predictions, but based on hypothetical situations. According to this, Campbell said that the Korea-U.S. alliance must make cooperation its axis. He said it would not be difficult to imagine the formation of an ROK-US combined formation, and this formation could conduct humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. Even if, according to the U.S. explanation, this was just hypothetical and not a prediction, not only is it inappropriate for the commander of a foreign army stationed here to discuss the application of Korean military strength, but it’s not diplomatically discourteous. This is an issue separate from bilateral cooperation and the pursuit of mutual interests for security on the Korean Peninsula.
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