Seoul, Washington differ on military assets' strategic deployment

Controversies have heightened as South Korea and the U.S. agreed on reviewing rotational stationary deployment of U.S. military assets but failed to stipulate in the joint agreement at the 48th ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). Some criticize that the two nations have in fact failed to come up with a strong military pressure on North Korea due to differences in awareness of the North Korean nuclear threat. Some estimate that a follow-up negotiating process on the rotational stationary deployment may be flawed.

Just after holding the the meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday local time, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced a joint statement with 18 clauses including the review and agreement on effective reinforcement of extended deterrence in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

During the joint press conference, Minister Han spoke that "additional measures (to effectively enforce extended deterrence) including the rotational stationary deployment of U.S. military assets (in the Korean Peninsula) will be taken into consideration." However, no sign of "rotational stationary deployment of U.S. military assets" could be found in the joint statement. Some predicted that the U.S. opposed to the stipulation due to realistic causes such as costs and operational process of strategic weapons.

South Korean Defense Ministry explained the matter as "a strategic consideration." Right after the meeting, Minister Han commented during the press conference that "a mutual understanding should be made on whether stipulating a specific military option (in the joint statement) in detail is in line with the strategic objectives such as deterrence (on North Korea)." Han's comment can be interpreted that instead of simplifying the rotational stationary deployment of U.S. military assets into words, diversified measures and maintaining a "strategic ambiguity" can give even bigger fear strategic-wise.

"The U.S. did not refuse to the demand for stipulation from Korea," said a South Korean ministry official. "It is all included in additional measures, and a follow-up discussion (on the rotational stationary deployment of U.S. military assets) will take place on foreign affairs and national defense issues."