OPINION:
President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Washington this month is an important opportunity for the United States and the Republic of Korea to reaffirm their joint commitment to peace and security on the Korean peninsula.
South Korea is an extraordinarily important ally for the United States. It is the second-largest shipbuilding country in the world (after Communist China). Its shipbuilding industry can bring a lot of resources, knowledge, and technology to bear on solving the U.S. Navy’s current crisis in ship building.
South Korea is a manufacturing powerhouse. It is the fifth-biggest manufacturing economy and the seventh-largest exporter in the world.
As the South Korean economy has prospered, the country has taken on more of the economic burden of American defense of the peninsula. South Korea currently provides an estimated $1.2 billion to offset the cost of American defense preparations in the region. This covers about one-third of the estimated $3.5 billion the U.S. spends specifically to defend South Korea and preserve peace and stability in a dangerous region. As the South Korean economy grows, that support is almost certainly going to increase.
One mutually profitable area of support would be for South Korea to build ships that America’s Navy and Coast Guard desperately need.
South Korea is geographically important for three major American concerns.
First, it is vitally important for dealing with Kim Jong Un and the Northern Korean dictatorship. The combination of American, South Korean, and Japanese forces has maintained the peace on the peninsula for 72 years. We really do not understand the internal power structure and strategic calculations of Kim and his regime. So, it is vital that South Korea and the United States remain vigilant and maintain forces so strong that Kim knows it would be suicidal to launch an attack.
Second, the defense of Taiwan’s independence sufficient force to convince the Communist Chinese that they would lose in any attempted invasion is greatly strengthened by the U.S.-Korean Alliance. It is made even stronger by Japan. The more the three nations can develop the capability to help defend Taiwan, the more likely it is that the communists will bluff and complain but avoid a military confrontation that they would surely lose.
Third, Korea, like Japan, has an enormous interest in maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. About one-third of all the world’s maritime trade goes through this sea. That amounts to about $3.5 trillion dollars a year of goods. Communist China for years has tried to exercise control of the South China Sea, and for years the U.S. and its allies have blocked that power grab. South Korea has a superb navy and is a major player in ensuring that the South China Sea remains open.
Given all these concerns and the dramatic amount of extra economic, technological, and military power South Korea brings to the alliance there are many reasons for the U.S. and South Korea to work together.
However, there is one emerging danger to the alliance. It is the new government’s aggressive effort to jail and prosecute political opponents and to attack and try to destroy religious groups in South Korea (many of whom are conservative and were supporting the opposition party).
Given President Donald J. Trump’s own experience with the Biden administration trying to destroy him through judicial means and given America’s deep commitment to religious liberty the new administration will almost certainly have to modify its behavior if the alliance is to continue to strengthen.
This combination of abusive police powers and efforts to destroy political opponents and religious leaders is the biggest cloud on the horizon for US-South Korean relations. The sooner it is resolved, the stronger the alliance will be.
This could be a productive visit for President Lee. It could continue the 75-year-old alliance which has brought peace and prosperity to the South Korean half of the peninsula.
• Newt Gingrich is an author and 50th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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