Oh Se-hoon warns of cracks in US-Korea alliance, questions Lee government's security credentials

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon sharply criticized the Lee Jae Myung government's diplomacy and security policy Sunday, warning that the US-Korea alliance may be developing serious cracks.

Oh published a post on his Facebook page titled "Can we entrust our security to a government that doubts the alliance?" and said "the US-Korea alliance is standing on thin ice."

Oh pointed to the US ambassador to South Korea's public reference to "turbulence" in the bilateral relationship, saying the remark made clear "how Washington is viewing Seoul right now."

Oh attributed the deterioration in US-Korea relations to statements by senior government officials. The defense minister, Oh said, made remarks during a national audit suggesting doubt about whether USFK could be trusted if war broke out with North Korea, while the unification minister drew American suspicion with comments about North Korea's nuclear facilities.

Oh also raised the controversy over the United States restricting intelligence sharing on North Korea, saying, "The force that has deterred North Korean provocations until now has been the conviction that the US and South Korea stand together."

Oh expressed concern about US President Donald Trump's approach to alliances and trade policy. Because Trump views alliances through a transactional lens, Oh said, South Korea's pledges to increase defense spending and commit $350 billion in investment to the United States had represented an opportunity to secure support for nuclear-powered submarines and a revision of the US-Korea nuclear cooperation agreement.

However, Oh said, delays in passing special legislation to back the investment commitment have allowed US trade pressure to continue. Depending on the outcome of a US Section 301 investigation, Oh warned, South Korean exporters and jobs could face additional burdens.

"No partner country will fully trust a government that makes its own alliance suspect," Oh said, calling for a fundamental review of the government's diplomacy and security policy direction.

Oh cautioned against waiting for conditions to improve on their own after the US midterm elections. "The expectation that things will get better once the US midterms are over is an illusion," Oh said. "Right after Trump was elected two years ago, I said America First had become America's new normal." Watching another country's election and waiting, Oh added, would amount to nothing more than wishful thinking.

Oh also took issue with a recent remark by the president urging Koreans to avoid a "subservient attitude" toward foreign powers. "With the alliance showing signs of fracture, that is far too leisurely a comment," Oh said. "Self-reliance is only possible when the fence of the US-Korea alliance stands firm."

The post reflects Oh's view of the US-Korea alliance as a strategic relationship encompassing not only security but also trade and economic cooperation, and raises questions about the government's approach to managing ties with Washington.