President Moon Says USFK Will Remain in South Korea as A Regional “Balancer”

It looks like President Moon is trying to assuage any concerns USFK may be having in regards to the appeasement of North Korea by the ROK government:

“Despite the failure of the second summit between the United States and North Korea, they have continued to pursue avenues to maintain their nuclear dialogue, which I believe is thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal trust in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and vice versa,” Moon said.

The allied commanders invited to the luncheon were Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki, USFK chief Gen. Robert Abrams, USFK Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, USFK Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy Maj. Gen. James W. Lukeman, Special Operations Command Korea Commander Maj. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, and Eighth Army Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Patrick J. Donahoe, according to Cheong Wa Dae. 

This is the first time that high-profile USFK and South Korean military generals have attended a single event together, presidential aides said.

President Moon said the recent launches of short-range missiles by the North haven’t impeded the joint military readiness of the United States and South Korean military forces. 

“What we’ve achieved so far [for inter-Korean progress] was based on a stronger joint military readiness and commitment for a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. I want to thank you for your thoughtful and concerted rapprochement in handling the North’s recent missile launches. As we responded calmly to the recent launches, nuclear diplomacy is expected to remainon going,” Moon said, adding the presence of the USFK will continue regardless of the level of the peace process on the peninsula, given its pivotal role as a “balancer” for security in Northeast Asia. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but 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. The anti-US groups in South Korea have already said they plan to do this.