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US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris exits the South Korean Ministry of National Defense after his talk with Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Jan. 28. (Yonhap News)

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris met individually with South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha on Jan. 28.

The chief topic of discussion was reportedly the sharing of defense costs, an area where the two sides have been at odds in the later stages of their talks. Observers speculated they may also have discussed the frictions between Seoul and Tokyo over allegations of patrol aircraft flybys and the use of tracking radar, but this was not confirmed.

No signs have yet been detected of the US attempting to play a mediating role in the South Korea-Japan conflict. In addition to the waning importance of trilateral military cooperation as US discussions with North Korea progress toward a resolution of the nuclear issue, the stance is seen as reflecting the Donald Trump administration’s “America first” mindset and unwillingness to involve itself in conflicts not directly tied to its interests.

“The position of the US is that this is a matter for South Korea and Japan to sort out themselves,” a foreign affairs source said.

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) also has made no reference to US mediation or involvement. While some had speculated about discussions of a resolution to the South Korea-Japan frictions when Jeong met on Jan. 24 with ROK-US Combined Forces Command commanding general Robert Abrams, the MND officially denied any such discussions took place. The message also appeared to represent a step back from the ministry’s previous remarks about “sharing the situation and intelligence with the US.” The situation reflected the US’ apparent unwillingness to come across as actively intervening in the issue.

The “hands off” approach from the Trump administration stands out sharply in contrast with his predecessor. As frictions erupted between former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the military comfort women issue, then-US President Barack Obama attempted to mediate for the sake of the trilateral military cooperation. Obama also “twisted the arms” of the two leaders by announcing plans to hold a trilateral summit during the Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands in Mar. 2014.

The US appears unlikely to actively insert itself in the South Korea-Japan frictions as long as they do not reach a level that threatens the trilateral cooperation framework. With the conflict turning in a game of “who’s telling the truth,” some analysts suggest the US’ position is realistically limited. Both Jeong and Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya have contacted acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan in an attempt to win the US to their side – in a telephone meeting on Jan. 8 and in-person meeting on Jan. 16, respectively – but the US has maintained that it does not intend to get involved.

The Pentagon has not released any information about the telephone meeting with the South Korean Defense Minister. In reference to the US-Japan meeting, it only mentioned the two sides working to “strengthen the US-Japan Alliance and to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.”

By Yoo Kang-moon, seniors staff writer, and Gil Yun-hyung, staff reporter

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