US-ROK alliance divided at heart

美韩同盟不同心

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Chen Lufan
Time
2020-11-19 13:16:25

The protracted US presidential election has come to an end. After Biden announced his winning on November 8, the ROK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Unification began to study the new administration’s policy regarding the Korean peninsula. ROK media analyzed that the Biden administration would adjust its policy toward the peninsula drastically.

持续多日的美国大选接近尾声,随着11月8日拜登宣布大选获胜,韩国外交部、国防部、统一部等外交安保部门开始研究美国新一届政府的朝鲜半岛政策。韩媒分析,未来拜登政府上台后将对朝鲜半岛政策进行大规模调整。

According to their analysis, the Biden administration, on the principle of “maintaining close consultation based on the ROK-US alliance”, will pay attention to ROK’s DPRK policy. ROK foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha didn’t think Biden would continue the Obama administration's DPRK policy even though he might use the think tank of that period.

韩媒分析称,拜登政府将“基于韩美同盟保持紧密协商”的原则,对韩方的对朝政策予以关注。韩国外交部长官康京和认为,尽管拜登可能沿用奥巴马政府时期的智囊团,但他不会恢复奥巴马政府的对朝政策。

In a phone call with Moon Jae-in on November 12, Biden said ROK is a key player in the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, and the US will continue to fulfill its defense commitments to the country. He also expressed his expectation for the two countries to work more closely in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety, climate change, and Indo-Pacific peace and prosperity.

11月12日,拜登在与文在寅的通话中表示,韩国是印太地区安全与繁荣的关键,美方将继续切实履行对韩方作出的防卫承诺,并期待美韩今后在应对新冠肺炎疫情、卫生安全、气候变化以及印太地区和平繁荣等方面紧密合作。

The Dong-A Ilbo, literally East Asia Daily, one of the ROK's major daily newspapers, claimed in its editorial published on November 13 that Biden and Moon Jae-in had disagreements during their phone conservation as the former is focused on intensifying the ROK-US alliance while the latter is more concerned about the denuclearization and peace process of the Korean peninsula.

韩国《东亚日报》在11月13日社论中称,拜登与文在寅通话时,“与文在寅总统将重点放在朝鲜半岛无核化及和平进程上不同,拜登将重点放在加强韩美同盟上,两人出现分歧”。

According to the Dong-A Ilbo, the ROK government and ruling party have always given priority to the relationship between the ROK and the DPRK on denuclearization issue. ROK foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha proposed to put the DPRK-US dialogue high on the agenda of ROK and US leaders during her US trip. According to ROK’s conservative media, the ROK government and the Biden administration don’t see eye to eye on the DPRK policy and the consolidation of the ROK-US alliance.

《东亚日报》认为,韩国政府和执政党在朝鲜无核化上一直强调优先处理南北关系。外交部长官康京和在访美期间提出“朝美对话是首脑层面必须优先关注的焦点”。在韩国保守媒体看来,在对朝政策和加强韩美同盟问题上,韩国政府与拜登新政府的步调并不一致。

An article titled “The fate of the Korean Peninsular should be decided by Koreans,” published by ROK’s The Hankyoreh, said there is no telling what Biden is going to do or how he will do it at this moment. Still, the Korean peninsula is not his priority anyway.

韩国媒体《韩民族日报》在题为《朝鲜半岛的命运由我们来决定》一文中表示,目前完全看不出拜登要做什么,怎样做。对拜登来说,朝鲜半岛不是优先课题。

As a matter of fact, there is a fundamental divide in the national interests between the US and the ROK. Washington is pressing Pyongyang so hard to give up the nuclear program, not for the peninsula’s stability, but to reduce the threats to its military presence on the peninsula. The US doesn’t want the peninsula to be stable because its military presence there would become meaningless if the peninsular peace process is advanced and cooperation between the ROK and the DPRK is intensified. What Washington is really concerned with is how to control the ROK with the DPRK as an excuse, step in the peninsular situation, and steer it to serve America’s national interests.

事实上,美韩两国的国家利益存在根本分歧。美国逼迫朝鲜弃核,并非为了半岛局势稳定,而是要降低美国在半岛军事存在的威胁。美国并不希望半岛稳定,如果开启半岛和平进程,南北合作加强,美国在半岛的军事存在就失去意义。美国真正关心的是如何以朝鲜为借口控制韩国,介入半岛局势,使半岛局势朝着更符合美国国家利益的方向发展。

The ROK, on the other hand, will only achieve real development when the peninsula enjoys stabilty and South-North cooperation advances.

而对韩国而言,只有真正实现半岛稳定,推进南北合作,韩国才能迎来真正的发展。

 

Related News

Continue...