Disagreement on North Korea policy derails White House choice for ambassador to South Korea

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Disagreement on North Korea policy derails White House choice for ambassador to South Korea

By David Nakamura and Anne Gearan January 30 at 3:28 PM

The White House's original choice for U.S. ambassador to South Korea is no longer expected to be nominated after he privately expressed disagreement in late December with the Trump administration's North Korea policy, according to people familiar with the matter.

Victor D. Cha, an academic who served in the George W. Bush administration, raised his concerns with National Security Council officials over their consideration of a limited strike on the North aimed at sending a message without sparking a wider war — a risky concept known as a "bloody nose" strategy.

Cha also objected to the administration's threats to tear up a bilateral trade deal with Seoul that Trump has called unfair to American companies. The administration last week imposed new tariffs on imports on washing machines and solar energy panels, a move criticized by the South Korean government.

The White House had spent months conducting a security and financial background check on Cha and U.S. officials formally notified Seoul in December of President Trump's intent to send his nomination to the Senate. South Korean officials quickly signed off on Cha, a formal process in international affairs known as "Agrément." ... Newspapers in Seoul hailed his pending appointment in December and South Korean diplomats in Washington were pressing the White House to formally nominate him to the Senate, hoping to have him in place in time for the Olympics, which start Feb. 9 in PyeongChang. ... But the nomination never came. A senior administration official confirmed this week that the White House had moved on to other potential candidates.
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David Nakamura covers the White House. He has previously covered sports, education and city government and reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Japan. Follow @davidnakamura

Anne Gearan is a White House reporter for The Washington Post. Follow @agearan

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/disagreement-on-north-korea-policy-could-derail-white-house-choice-for-ambassador-to-south-korea/2018/01/30/3a21191c-05da-11e8-94e8-e8b8600ade23_story.html

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Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

Scoop: The White House’s choice for U.S. ambassador to South Korea is no longer expected to be nominated after he privately expressed disagreement with the Trump administration’s North Korea policy, w/@agearan

Link to tweet

"Bloody nose" being the idea that the U.S. could chasten North Korea with a limited military strike, and NK wouldn't hit back.

Link to tweet

[procon]

1. Trump can't handle any criticism, he wants unqualified toadies who praise him,

not experienced professionals who speak truth to power. So Korea will probably never see an American ambassador while Trump is in power.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Withdrawal of U.S. envoy candidate and tough talk from Trump worries South Korea

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

Withdrawal of U.S. envoy candidate and tough talk from Trump worries South Korea

Link to tweet

Withdrawal of U.S. envoy candidate and tough talk from Trump worries South Korea

TOKYO — South Korea's progressive government was already nervous about President Trump's intentions when it came to North Korea, fearing that he might press ahead with military action without Seoul's consent.

The sudden withdrawal of the candidate for ambassador to Seoul — apparently because he argued against striking North Korea — coupled with the president's tough language in the State of the Union has now only exacerbated those fears.

Trump described North Korea's pursuit of nuclear missiles as "reckless" and said there is a campaign of "maximum pressure" to prevent that from happening. The administration has also put forward the idea of a targeted strike to respond to missile launches to give the regime a "bloody nose" that would — hopefully — not escalate into a wider conflict.

"This puts Moon Jae-in between a rock and a hard place," said Lee Chung-min, professor of international relations at Yonsei University in Seoul, referring to the South Korean president. ... Now, the Moon administration will be trying to talk down a Trump administration that is apparently more serious about giving North Korea a "bloody nose" than analysts realized — at the same time as North Korea is preparing for a huge military parade.
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Anna Fifield is The Post’s bureau chief in Tokyo, focusing on Japan and the Koreas. She previously reported for the Financial Times from Washington D.C., Seoul, Sydney, London and from across the Middle East. Follow @annafifield