Korean War Peace Treaty and Humanitarian Aid Supposedly Offered for Denuclearization
If the ROK Foreign Minister is to believed it appears the US will be offering a peace treaty and humanitarian aid in return for denuclearization steps:
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha referred to ending the Korean War, establishing a communication channel between North Korea and the U.S., and humanitarian aid as possible measures that Washington could offer Pyongyang for taking denuclearization steps.
Korea Times
“Various options are being discussed as corresponding measures,” Kang told reporters in a briefing at the foreign ministry, Wednesday.
However, on resuming operations at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) or tours to Mount Geumgang, which had drawn attention as possible reciprocal measures, Kang said such these “were not at a stage of being reviewed.”
You can read more at the link, but as I have said before a Korean War peace treaty is something that North Korea has long sought as a way to end the presence of US troops in South Korea. If there is peace why is USFK needed?
President Moon has been saying all the right things that USFK will remain after any peace treaty is signed, to include claiming Kim Jong-un understands this as well. However, this is likely just rhetoric to prevent energizing South Korean conservatives against a peace treaty.
Remember Moon is a very skilled politician that needs to keep the Korean right at bay and public anxiety down. If he openly advocated for a USFK withdrawal, that would give the South Korean right an issue to strongly attack him with and cause much public anxiety after decades of security guarantees provided by US forces. That is why I think the Moon administration will publicly say they support USFK staying, but will then have surrogates do things to make life difficult for USFK.
Possibly the future of USFK after a peace treaty could look a lot like the current THAAD site in Seongju. President Moon will say all the right things that he supports USFK, just like he supposedly supports the THAAD site, but will set conditions to make it difficult for its continued existence and cause the US to withdraw troops on its own accord.
Lions instinctively apply overwhelming, unrelenting, POWER. It’s the ONLY thing that changes a hyena’s attitude.
US conditions for continued negotiations:
Return the USS Pueblo (or we will destroy it as an act of honor).
Return remaining abductees from the 1969 KS-11 hijacking (or we will destroy Wonsan airfield as another act of honor).
Move all artillery currently pointed at S. Korea 100 km north (or we will destroy them all at a time of our choosing).
Then, we’ll talk.
We are a long long way from talking peace treaty and humanitarian aid. It’s time to be the lion in these negotiations instead of the mouse.
@McGeehee, I would be surprised if that happens. It seems like some major concession is about to be made by the US for little to nothing in return. I expect the Kim regime to make a 2008 cooling tower demolition like spectacle to make people believe they are denuclearizing:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-north/north-korea-blows-up-reactor-cooling-tower-idUSPEK29837520080627
If Moon continues his intransigence, you might see Trump pull all US troops and equipment to Okinawa and start bombing the nuke sites, airfields, missile launchers, and sub bases.
After all, if South Korea wants to join the norks, they might as well do so sooner than later.
I hear those nork chefs make an amazing grass and gravel stew.
McGeehee
Great idea. Unfortunately a road to far. You must remember, with Koreans the US is always on the blame line.
Kuh-rae-so,,,just wishful thinking. And probably explains why I don’t work at State.