Calling Off Marine Landing on Historic Beach in South Korea Shows Priority of the Middle East

For the first time since the Korean War, American marines won’t be staging an amphibious landing exercise as they’ve been doing since hitting the same beach at the height of the Korean War.Cancellation of the division-size marine exercise, ordered before President Trump’s decision to shorten this month’s war games involving forces from all services, strikes Koreans and Americans alike as another sign of America’s weakening role in northeast Asia.The landing AT Pohang on the southeastern Korean coast is seen as needed to train marines, supported by warplanes and naval landing craft, to move quickly from the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa to defend America’s Korean ally. Only a few American marines are based in South Korea.The exercise over the years since the Korean War has become a tradition. A former army officer who spent most of his career in South Korea, Steve Tharp, places its cancellation in the context of a series of decisions that show the declining American commitment to the region — and also fraying American relations with South Korea.The cancellation was “due to Middle East deployments,” Mr. Tharp tells the Sun, but it also intensified “the negative ROK (Republic of Korea) sentiment toward the U.S. defense commitment and everything else American.” Rather than “just one lightning rod incident,” he says, “it’s the continuing series of reckless U.S. policies” that account for shifting Korean attitudes toward their American ally.Commentators in Beijing agree with much of that analysis. “US cancellation of marine drills with South Korea highlights declining US security commitment to allies,” headlined China’s Global Times, reflecting the official view. In addition, “Beyond the Iran war-related force constraints,” said the paper, “Chinese experts said the cancellation could be aimed at supporting US President Donald Trump’s intention to resume direct diplomacy with North Korea.” Many Koreans viewed cancellation of the marine landing as cause for alarm. South Korea’s biggest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, quoted a security official as saying the decision to call it off “serves as a preview of the situation South Korea may face when U.S. interests are tied to other regions.”“Our own government is discouraging ties with the Americans,” said an office worker, Chang Han-jin. “Our president (Lee Jae-myung) is looking for relations with North Korea just like President Trump. It is very dangerous for us.”Polls bear out the sense of frayed relations between Washington and Seoul. “Opinion of the U.S. among South Koreans is near an all-time low,” was the title over a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. ”For the first time in over 20 years, a majority of South Koreans have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. “The poll showed that 55 percent of Koreans “expressed an unfavorable view of the U.S., up from 39 percent last year.” Only 45 percent of South Koreans had a favorable view, it said, “marking a 16-point drop from last year (61 percent) and a 35-point drop from 2018, the second year of Trump’s first term (80 percent).” Moreover, it said, “South Koreans are much less likely than a few years ago to view the U.S. as a reliable partner to their country.”

Calling Off Marine Landing on Historic Beach in South Korea Shows Priority of the Middle East

Calling Off Marine Landing on Historic Beach in South Korea Shows Priority of the Middle East

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