Leaders of South Korea and the United States have agreed to postpone the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul until 2015 from the previously planned 2012. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who was in Toronto, Canada, to attend the G20 summit, met with U.S. President Barack Obama on June 26 and decided to delay the U.S. transfer of wartime operational command to South Korea by about three years and seven months from the initially scheduled April 17, 2012. The wartime operational command refers to the right to control operations of armed forces in case of war. In 2007, South Korea and the U.S. agreed that Seoul would regain wartime operational control in 2012. However, there have been rising calls for delaying the transfer in the wake of North Korea’s long-range rocket launch and its second nuclear test last year. President Lee’s national security adviser Kim Sung-hwan says Seoul and Washington had engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations over this matter since early 2010. Kim also says President Lee officially had requested the postponement and President Obama eventually accepted it. Dr. Kim Hyun-wook) from the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security analyzes the backdrop for the delayed transfer in three aspects.

In the year 2012, presidential elections will be held in South Korea, the U.S. and Russia, and the term of Chinese President Hu Jintao will end. Also, North Korea has a goal of building a prosperous nation by that year. So 2012 wouldn’t be an appropriate time for the transfer, since the year could see political uncertainty on and around the Korean Peninsula. Secondly, the South Korean military will be fully charged with wartime operational control once the right is handed over to Seoul. But it doesn’t seem South Korea is fully prepared yet. It has now secured three more years to prepare for the situation more effectively. Thirdly, there have been constant security threats from North Korea, such as the North’s second nuclear test in May last year, its long-range rocket launch, and most recently, the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. Under these precarious circumstances, South Korea is well aware of the potential threat to national security when its military takes over the wartime operational command, although it has yet to be prepared for it.

The change in security conditions on the Korean Peninsula played a decisive role in eliciting the agreement from the United States, which had been opposed to the transfer delay. So, why did South Korea and the U.S. decide to delay the transfer until the year of 2015 in particular? The South Korean government says a command headquarters for ground forces will be established in 2015 so the military can maximize joint operability between the new headquarters and the existing ones for navy forces and air forces. The government also says it gave consideration to the planned relocation of U.S. Forces Korea stationed north of the Han River to Pyeongtack, Gyeonggi Province, scheduled for completion in 2015. Most of all, experts predict the South Korean military will see a significant improvement in its defense posture around 2015.

Over the extended period, the South Korean military can heighten its readiness, which is a big, positive change for the nation. At present, the military lacks intelligence-gathering capabilities, precision-strike capabilities and a tactical command communications system. But the military is believed to be able to obtain the capabilities by 2015. We can’t help but wonder if the South Korean military is really capable of coping with military provocations like the Cheonan incident independently right now. Just imagine such an incident occurring in wartime, and you will fully realize what the result would be like. I think it’s very important to transfer the wartime operational command to Seoul only after the South Korean military improves its combat readiness.

On the other hand, some criticize the delayed transfer, calling it an act of giving up Korea’s “military sovereignty.” They argue it is inappropriate for the South Korean military to maintain a passive stance, as far as the nation’s self-defense is concerned. Also, there are concerns that Seoul may pay the relevant costs because the South Korean government requested the delay of the wartime command transfer, although the government affirms that there will be no additional military expenses. But experts speculate the U.S. may demand that Seoul increase its share of the US Forces Korea budget or its spending for joint military drills between the two countries, since the U.S. had been pushing for the transfer of the wartime operational command, citing “strategic flexibility” of U.S. Forces stationed overseas.

It doesn’t mean that South Korea will delay the transfer permanently, but only by three years and seven months. And the postponement has a clear justification. So we don’t have to be necessarily negative about the nation’s military sovereignty. The biggest sticking point is how to share the relevant costs. Under the 2008 cost-sharing agreement, Seoul and Washington are to equally share the budget for maintaining U.S. Forces Korea. The agreement expires in 2013. The U.S. may demand that Seoul make a greater financial contribution to US Forces Korea during a new round of negotiations to be held to determine the prospective cost-sharing between 2013 and 2015. Seoul needs to put all its efforts into minimizing the potential financial burden.

Many are also wondering how the delayed transfer will influence inter-Korean relations, since the decision signals a stronger military alliance between South Korea and the U.S., which North Korea believes is the biggest military threat. Considering that North Korea has been extremely sensitive about matters related to the U.S. Forces Korea, Mr. Kim says the delayed handover of the wartime command to Seoul will likely have a negative impact on future inter-Korean ties.

It’s highly likely that North Korea will criticize the delay of wartime command transfer, defining it as a threat to North Korea. The communist nation justifies its nuclear development for its own security. The North will argue that the South Korea-U.S. alliance jeopardizes its regime security and therefore it has no option but to develop nuclear weapons. So, the North will use the delayed transfer as an excuse for its nuclear arms development. It could also be a stumbling block in the way of North Korea’s return to the six-party talks. Also, we cannot rule out the possibility that the rescheduled transfer may prompt China to lend more support for North Korea when dealing with the Cheonan naval incident.

The government plans to discuss details on the delayed transfer with the U.S. during the meetings of defense and foreign ministers of the two countries in July and the annual Security Consultative Meeting in October. The military authorities of the two countries must carefully review the ongoing efforts to transfer the wartime operational control and prepare for complementary measures.



[Interview] Charity Event for North Korean Teenage Defectors
On the evening of June 16, people started gathering in small groups at the COEX Auditorium in Samsung-dong, southeastern Seoul to attend a charity event organized by culture and art group, “Love Garden Art.” The event, named after the group that organized it, is designed to extend a helping hand to North Korean teenagers who managed to defect to South Korea but still have a hard time in acclimating to South Korean society. Here’s the group president Kim Seon-ae.

It takes just one or two years for the young defectors to master the standard South Korean language. But they need at least ten years to get used to South Korean culture. During that process, they often feel alienated from the society. We hosted this culture and art festival in hopes of making the young newcomers feel like someone to be loved and respected. They can watch cultural programs on TV, of course, but we hope these hands-on cultural experiences will help them grow well and become responsible members of South Korean society.

The “Love Garden Art” festival, now in its fourth year, aims to help teenagers defectors experience South Korean culture and art directly. Last year’s event was focused on dancing, such as B-boy dancing and ballet presentations, while this year’s festival mostly features song performances conveying the message of love. Fabulous performances of a percussion band and a female chorus as well as famous singer Park Sang-min and musical actor and actress Min Young-gi and Kim Seon-gyeong caught the eyes of the North Korean teenagers. Famous alpinist Um Hong-gil, the first Korean to conquer the 14 Himalayan peaks, and Oh Eun-seon, the first woman to scale the world’s 14 highest peaks, took to the stage to share their stories and give the young defectors hope and encouragement.

…Hi, there. I’m alpinist Um Hong-gil. You chose to come to South Korea in search of freedom, didn’t you? You set foot on South Korean soil with the aim of realizing your dreams. So, I hope all of you will fulfill your dreams and hopes here in South Korea. Challenge yourselves!

…Hello, I’m Oh Eun-seon. I imagine you face many difficulties in a new environment here. But the difficulties are just like a mountain to climb over. Just move forward step by step, and everything will turn out well. Don’t be discouraged. Go!

All the proceeds from the charity event will be used for Yeomyeong School, an alternative education facility for North Korean students, and teenage defectors in need. To join in the charity drive, most of the singers and guests participating in the festival refused to receive performance fees or donated all the fees. Let’s meet with Chung Chan-woo and Kim Tae-gyun, the comedian duo Cultwo, who emceed the show.

# Chung : I’m very happy to be here. I’d like to express my gratitude to you for inviting me to the show. The event has a good purpose, and I happened to be free. So I was willing to participate in the show. I think I did a good job if the visitors laughed a lot and felt happy.

# Kim : I’m honored to emcee this meaningful charity event. I hope you guys will cherish the hopes that you still have for tomorrow and continue to move forward. Then, I believe situations will be a lot better and you will have more opportunities to follow your dreams. Let’s have fun! I’ll pray you will be happy every day, just like today.

The festival was filled with cheerful music and encouragement and love for the young defectors from North Korea. Through this event, they certainly felt like they belonged to South Korea. Here’s hoping the teenage defectors will exude bright smiles and confidence in the years to come.