Diplomatic source: Cha’s ambassadorship withdrawal unrelated to policy differences with Trump administration

Posted on : 2018-02-03 16:43 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
The source declined to discuss the actual reasons behind the decision
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Korea chair Victor Cha
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Korea chair Victor Cha

The withdrawal of Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Korea chair Victor Cha’s nomination as US Ambassador to South Korea was not related to policy differences with the White House on military action against North Korea, a diplomatic source in Seoul said.

“The press has been reporting that [Cha’s] withdrawal was because of North Korea policy and clashes of opinion on policies related to the military option, but that was not the case,” a foreign affairs source familiar with South Korea-US relations told reporters on Feb. 2.

“As far as I have ascertained, the reason for the withdrawal was not differences on North Korea policies involving a military clash, and various other factors were responsible,” the source explained.

With an official agreement granted by Seoul late last year for Cha’s appointment, the sudden news of his withdrawal reported by the foreign press raised questions about the reasons behind it. His publication of a Jan. 30 contribution to the Washington Post just a few hours after the withdrawal was reported – in which he harshly criticized the White House and denouncing its “bloody nose” strategy against North Korea as potentially endangering Americans – lent weight to speculation that he had been dropped from consideration due to differences of opinion with the White House over the strategy, which involves a limited military strike against the North.

Cha’s withdrawal raised concerns that the military option against North Korea is being discussed in very concrete terms within the Donald Trump administration. But the source cautioned that it was “going too far to speak of the two things as being connected.”

“The fact of Victor Cha dropping out and the fact of the US military option against the North are not logically connected,” the source stressed.

The source went on to say that the US military option against North Korea is “not very feasible at the current stage.”

“At the present stage, [the US] is focusing on diplomatic and peaceful efforts [to resolve North Korea-related issues].”

The so-called “bloody nose” strategy, which has quickly gained attention in the wake of Cha’s withdrawal, is viewed as distinct from preventive war or a preemptive strike. Instead, it is reportedly a term for US military policy concept that seeks to discourage nuclear and missile “provocations” from the North through limited military action in a form that minimizes the likelihood of escalation.

The approach has been openly discussed among White House hardliners since early 2018 as inter-Korean dialogue began gathering momentum. Experts interpreted it as their attempt to nip the restoration of inter-Korean relations in the bud.

The source kept quiet on the actual reasons for Cha’s withdrawal.

“It’s a personnel-related matter that I can’t really talk about specifically,” the source said.

“If I had to say something, I would say that US society is a lot more complex than we think.”

The US government reportedly responded to the growing questions about Cha’s withdrawal by explaining to Seoul that the reason was “not differences on North Korea policy.”

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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