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Mark Knapper

Marc Knapper, the US Department of State’s acting deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan issue, has stated that the issue of United States Forces Korea (USFK) is not part of the agenda in negotiations between North Korea and the US.

In a speech titled, ‘The implications of a new geopolitical era on the Korean Peninsula’ delivered at a forum held in the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC, on Jan. 30, Knapper said “The USFK issue has never been on the negotiating table with North Korea. The USFK issue is a matter between the US and South Korea, and both nations will closely monitor this issue in line with progress made on the North Korean issue.”

Speculation has spread across the US that reducing the scale of US forces stationed in South Korea may be a card President Trump is willing to offer during the second US-North Korea summit meeting scheduled for late February. However, Knapper was quick to nip these rumors in the bud.

On this point, The Hill reported on the same day that a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers, including second generation Korean American congressman Andy Kim (Democrat), had introduced a bill that would restrict the government from withdrawing troops from South Korea. The bill, called the “United States and Republic of Korea Alliance Support Act,” would prohibit the use of Department of Defense funds from the 2019 fiscal year budget to reduce the total number of Armed Forces serving on active duty in Korea below 22,000. In order to reduce the stationed forces below that number, the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would have to prove that “the Republic of Korea is fully capable of defending itself and deterring a conflict on the Korean Peninsula that would threaten United States interests following such a reduction.”

In a veiled reference to the recent conflict that broke out between South Korea and Japan over a low-flying Japanese patrol aircraft, Knapper stated “I am well aware that relations between Korea and Japan are not great” in his speech. “Nevertheless, it is more important than ever that the US, Japan and Korea maintain strong relations in order to respond to the challenges posed by North Korea and China. I am sure that this situation will blow over and our three nations will once again come together to achieve our common goal of final fully verifiable denuclearization (FFVD) in North Korea.”

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

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