What role does the South Korean army play in the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" of the

　　surrounding military situation

　　On the morning of July 2, the Korea-US Joint Command held a ceremony at the Humphrey Barracks in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do. The new commander of the Korea-US Joint Command and the commander of the US Army in Korea, Paul Lacamella, was officially inaugurated.

Just as the commander of the US European Command also serves as the supreme commander of NATO allied forces, the commander of the US Army in South Korea also serves as the commander of the South Korean-US Joint Command, which means that the commander of the US military has the supreme command of the regional alliance forces.

This arrangement has a long history and is meaningful.

　　The US military stationed in South Korea currently has approximately 28,500 people, mainly including the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, a detachment of the Navy’s 7th Fleet, and the Air Force’s 7th Air Force under its jurisdiction two fighter wings, the Marine Corps, special operations forces and various headquarters.

As the commander of the South Korean-US Joint Command and the commander of the US Army in South Korea, Paul LaCamera was not only given command of all US troops stationed in South Korea, but also given command of the South Korean-US coalition forces.

In the South Korean-US Joint Command, the US military commander serves as the commander, and the Korean military commander serves as the deputy commander.

In other words, the command of the South Korean army rests in the hands of the US military commander who serves as the joint commander of the South Korean-US forces.

　　This power distribution pattern began during the Korean War.

On July 27, 1953, the parties involved in the Korean War signed the "Korea Armistice Agreement" in Panmunjom.

At the same time, the United States and South Korea formed a military alliance, and then South Korean President Rhee Seung-man handed over the command of the South Korean army to the "United Nations Command."

　　With the end of the Cold War, the international situation has undergone major changes, and the situation in East Asia has also changed accordingly.

The opposition of South Korean nationals to the US military is growing. After negotiations with the United States, South Korea reached an agreement in 1994, and South Korea regained its normal operational command from the US military.

However, there was a serious confrontation between North and South on the Korean peninsula at that time. South Korea was unable and unwilling to fully assume the risks and responsibilities of the war. The United States and South Korea agreed that the United The commander of the US Joint Command is the commander of the US Army in South Korea.

　　Since then, on the issue of the ownership of the wartime command power of the South Korean army, from Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye to Moon Jae-in, successive South Korean governments have negotiated and negotiated with the United States, but the time limit for the transfer of the "wartime command" of the South Korean army is always Push again and again.

　　On May 10, 2017, Moon Jae-in was sworn in as the nineteenth president of South Korea, and he clearly stated that he would take back the wartime command of the South Korean army as soon as possible.

In September 2020, when Moon Jae-in presided over the officer promotion ceremony, he said: “Accelerating the transfer of command power between South Korea and the United States is a major issue.” The new Minister of Defense Xu Xu and the chairman of the Joint Staff Headquarters Won Incheol pledged to do their best to improve the Korean army. Combat effectiveness, ready for the transfer of combat command.

　　In accordance with the results of related negotiations between the United States and South Korea, the United States-South Korea Joint Command will be transformed into the "Future Joint Command", with the four-star South Korean general as the commander and the commander of the US military in South Korea as the deputy commander.

However, three stages of assessment must be completed before the transfer of power is completed, that is, the assessment of the basic operational capabilities, full operational capabilities, and full mission capabilities of the future joint command.

　　The 2019 basic application ability assessment has been passed.

The full application capability assessment was originally planned to start in August 2020 and be completed by the end of October of that year.

However, during the second phase of the evaluation in 2020, the US military took a negative attitude towards the evaluation work due to the difficulty in deploying troops under the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the shrinking of the annual joint exercises, which led to the second phase of the evaluation not being completed as planned.

So far, the Moon Jae-in government's expectation of regaining wartime combat command before leaving office in 2022 has basically been hopelessly realized.

　　Regardless of whether the transfer of operational command from the U.S. troops in South Korea to the South Korean army that began with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is a show, the current attitude of the United States towards the transfer of command is obviously "passive and non-cooperative."

The reason is that with the launch of the "Indo-Pacific strategy" by the United States, the geopolitical value of South Korea and the combat command of the South Korean army have undergone major changes in the eyes of the United States.

　　Although the four-nation mechanism of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" does not include South Korea, it does not mean that South Korea's position in this strategy is not important.

In terms of historical origin, the military alliance between South Korea and the United States originated from World War II and the Korean War.

So far, the Korean Peninsula is still militarily in a state of armistice. The main parties to the war that year have not signed a peace agreement. Therefore, legally speaking, the war has not really ended.

Judging from the current situation, the United States deploys the THAAD system in South Korea, which can detect and monitor China's Northeast and North China regions. The US military bases in South Korea are also the fastest starting positions to reach China's Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the southeast coastal areas.

　　Since the Korean War, the South Korean-US military alliance has always been the most important barrier to South Korean security.

South Korea not only needs the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States, but also highly relies on high-tech military equipment and intelligence provided by the United States.

Without the "Global Hawk", E-8C reconnaissance aircraft, F-35B fighter jets and other high-tech equipment provided by the United States, South Korea's defense system will be devastated.

　　On May 21, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Biden held talks at the White House. They first mentioned the so-called "importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" in a joint statement issued by the two countries.

This apparently touching China's bottom line is not only the result of Biden's pressure, but also a manifestation of South Korea's determination to defend the Korea-US alliance.

In response to this, the United States replied that it not only abolished the previous restrictions on South Korea's development of missiles with a range of more than 180 kilometers and a warhead weight of more than 500 kilograms, but also allowed South Korea to develop submarine-launched missiles.

The successful launch of submarine-launched missiles by South Korea in early July means that South Korea has become the eighth country in the world with submarine-launched ballistic missile technology.

　　On July 5, the South Korean army dispatched the "Wang Jian" destroyer, the "Lynx" carrier helicopter, 3 high-speed boats, and more than 200 naval officers and soldiers to participate in the "Pacific Vanguard" maritime joint military exercise led by the US Navy's Seventh Fleet.

Although South Korea’s statement does not target a third country, the US’s "Indo-Pacific strategy" specifically targets China, and there will be no change due to South Korea’s participation in the performance.

　　Since 1994 negotiations between South Korea and the United States on the transfer of operational command of the South Korean army have begun, and there has been no decisive improvement in progress in the past 30 years.

The reason for this situation is, of course, because the South Korea-US alliance is an asymmetric alliance, and South Korea "can't twist the thigh with an arm", but there are also reasons why South Korea "willing to welcome or reject it" and not being positive.

For the United States, losing control of the Korean army will weaken its status in Northeast Asia and its "Indo-Pacific strategy."

For South Korea, the long-term role of "little daughter-in-law" is not only wronged, but also a sense of security to be protected.

　　At the moment, La Carmela has just taken office as the commander of the South Korea-US Joint Command, and Moon Jae-in's presidency is coming to an end.

According to the current polls in South Korea, the fluctuations in popular support between Moon Jae-in and his political opponents have emerged, and South Korea’s political prospects are likely to be detrimental to South Korea’s resumption of military command.

What's more, no matter how South Korea asks for the withdrawal, the United States refuses to let go, and it is useless for South Korea to fight.

　　In general, South Korea is very important to the US-led "Indo-Pacific strategy". Although South Korea has a high economic relationship with China and is careful to avoid stimulating China, it is wary of China’s rise. Judging from its recent close interaction with the United States, it is difficult to cover up, and it is no longer deliberately covered up.

　　(Author's unit: School of Information and Communication, National University of Defense Technology)

　　Wu Minwen Source: China Youth Daily