[Column] Merkel’s words on self-reliance provide a lesson for South Korea

Posted on : 2017-06-02 19:14 KST Modified on : 2017-06-02 19:14 KST
Ahead of South Korea-US summit, Pres. Moon must learn to use US alliance as an asset
World leaders gather for a commemorative photo at the G-7 Summit in Taormina
World leaders gather for a commemorative photo at the G-7 Summit in Taormina

On May 25, heads of state in Europe prepared for the dedication of the new NATO headquarters and the unveiling of a monument to commemorate the 9/11 terror attacks and recall Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. The memorial was crafted out of rubble from the World Trade Center buildings in New York. The event was planned for Donald Trump’s first visit to Europe as US President.

NATO‘s Article 5 essentially says that a military attack against any one member will be regarded as an attack against all members and subject to immediate response by individual members or all members. It defines the collective defense that is NATO’s reason for being as an alliance.

Past US Presidents have all pledged to abide by Article 5’s terms. Academics have characterized NATO as a “security community” for the Atlantic region. Never invoked at any time during the Cold War, Article 5 was invoked for the first time in its history in 2001 when the US suffered the 9/11 attacks.

Trump made no mention of honoring Article 5 during the ceremony. Instead, he accused NATO members of violating their agreement to spend 2% of their GDP on defense costs.

“Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defense,” he claimed.

Trump also offered a vague promise that the US would “never forsake the friends who stood by our side.” At a closed-door meeting, NATO members pledged to increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2024, yet Trump reportedly did not mention any pledge in connection with Article 5. How did the European leaders feel watching this?

A speech given by German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a party event in Munich on May 28 takes on heavy significance.

“The times when we could completely rely on others are, to an extent, over,” Merkel said. “I experienced that in the last a few days. . . . We need to know that we have to fight for our own future and destiny as Europeans. And that’s what I want to do together with you.”

Her remarks showed deep disappointment with Trump. At the same time, they also send the message to the German public that Europe must take responsibility for its own security. It was also Merkel’s stern assessment of Trump, who has opposed the Paris Agreement on climate change and blamed the US’s trade deficit with Germany on Germany, which he said was “very bad.” In a sense, it shows Europe’s pained awareness of the unilateralism expressed in Trump’s “America First” stance.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to hold a summit with Trump in about three weeks. None of the major diplomatic and security issues faced by South Korea are free from US influence: North Korea‘s nuclear and missile programs, the US Forces Korea THAAD deployment and China’s economic retaliation, the South Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, sanctions against North Korea, the improvement of inter-Korean relations. The US has been a disappointment for us. It‘s a serious situation. Trump is likely to ask a lot of South Korea. We can expect a lot of florid rhetoric, followed by one large bill.

It’s times like this that demand an assertive, collaborative approach to diplomacy. Merkel‘s remarks offer the lesson that South Korea must take responsibility for its own security. This means that even as it continues cooperating closely with the US, the South Korean government must also clearly state its responsibility in leading the way toward a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula - for the sake of its paramount interests, which are the peace and stability on the peninsula and the safety of its people. The South Korea-US alliance is a crucial asset for our security. And it will be all the stronger when we use that asset in a way that is suited to our own interests.

By Choi Jong-kun, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Studies, Yonsei University

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