As soon as the US military opened its mouth, South Korea exploded. In early October, a senior U.S. Army official said,"The U.S. military stationed in South Korea must deal with the dual threats of China and North Korea," which suddenly caused the originally stable South Korea-US alliance to stir up waves.
Immediately afterwards, South Korean President Lee Jae-ming spoke out four times in a row, his words were ruthless and his position was unambiguous: South Korea will not be a pawn of the United States, nor will it allow its own military to become an anti-China tool. What kind of strategic calculations are hidden behind this diplomatic "push war"?
The garrison changes its tone, and South Korea becomes suspicious
The U.S. military’s high-ranking “tramp line” is a field South Korea has always regarded as a prohibited zone: the strategic function of the U.S. military in South Korea.
At the beginning of October, U.S. Army Secretary Driscoll threw a heavy remark at Humphreys Base near Seoul: U.S. troops stationed in South Korea should not only stare at North Korea, but also prepare to deal with China.
This statement, suddenly pulling South Korea's security position from the "Korean defense line" to the "front of China".This is a part of the U.S. military's strategic contraction and re-deployment in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years, the intention is obvious, is to use South Korea's geographical advantage, to turn this peninsula into a game in the Chinese layout.
For South Korea, this carries a lot of weight. After all, for decades, the South Korea-US alliance has been based on the consensus of "jointly defending North Korea." Now, the United States is suddenly trying to change the foundation of this alliance, which is caught off guard.
More disturbing to South Korea is that this strategic adjustment has not been fully negotiated by South Korea, like the US unilaterally "notified" rather than "consulted".
South Korean Defense Minister An Kyu-bai responded directly by name in the congressional audit, saying that the core task of the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is to deal with the North Korean threat, and South Korea will not accept the proposal of using the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea for conflicts in other regions.
In other words, the U.S. military wants to “bind” South Korea into its strategy against China, and the South Korean side has clearly said “no.”
Once the role of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea changes, not only may South Korea be involved in geopolitical conflicts that have nothing to do with itself, but it will also directly impact South Korea-China relations and affect South Korea's economic security and diplomatic space.
Sound four times and draw a red line
Faced with frequent actions by the United States, Lee Zai-ming's government did not remain silent, but chose to make repeated heavy remarks on multiple occasions to gradually delineate the bottom line of its position.
On the commemoration of South Korea's Army Day in October this year, Lee Jae-myung stood on the highest command platform of the military, publicly proposed to "take back wartime operational command", and emphasized that the South Korean side should lead the joint defense posture between South Korea and the United States.
He mentioned "independent national defence" three times in that speech, a firm attitude that is not common among previous South Korean presidents. Apparently, Lee is not satisfied with being a "passive collaborator" in the alliance, but rather a "active deployee".
As early as September, Lee Jae-myung expressed his position on social platforms, pointing out that "relying on foreign troops to achieve defense security is a kind of submissive thinking." This sentence has aroused quite a response in South Korea.
Some have supported his courage to break the system of dependency, and some have feared it would stimulate the United States and even aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Later, Li Zaiming continued to speak on multiple public occasions, making it clear that the role of the US military in South Korea should not be expanded to India's Taiping Terrace, let alone let alone let South Korea be involved in military conflicts that have nothing to do with its own interests.
In his view, the so-called "independent national defense" is not a slogan, but a practical action - from raising military capabilities to improving treatment, from developing the domestic defense industry to re-taking command, all to make South Korea really have a "no" basin.
There has been much controversy over the issue of the long-standing military command in South Korea, which has been held by the United States since the Korean War, although South Korea withdrew the "ordinary command" in 1994, but when a conflict occurs, the Korean army still needs to obey the command of the U.S. Army in South Korea.
Li Zaiming's proposal to regain wartime command is not only a response to the strategic expansion of the United States, but also a clear statement in the struggle for national sovereignty.
His phrase was chosen very accurately, not "departure from the alliance", but "on the basis of strengthening the Korean-American alliance, the Korean side dominates the joint defense."
Take control of China and the United States, stabilize yourself
In the current warming of the U.S.-China game, how small nations can find space in the gap between the big powers is a problem facing every medium-sized power.Lee's operation in the Ming government is essentially a typical "strategic balance."
South Korea does not want to “turn its face” with the United States, but instead reaffirms its confidence in the Korean-American alliance on several occasions; but at the same time, it does not intend to get into the US anti-Chinese camp, and not to fall into the Indo-Pacific strategic struggle.
Maintaining military cooperation and maintaining strategic independence have become the main theme of South Korea's current policy towards the United States.
China is South Korea's largest trading partner, and the economic ties between the two countries are so close that it is difficult to give up. Especially in key industries such as semiconductors, automobiles, and batteries, Korean companies are highly dependent on the Chinese market. Once Sino-ROK relations deteriorate due to military stance, South Korea's economy bears the brunt.
Li also understood that once U.S. troops in South Korea were assigned a “mission toward China,” peace and stability on the peninsula could be out of control at any time due to conflict outside the territory.
For South Korea, the biggest security threat is still North Korea, not China.
Because of this, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-bak also showed considerable restraint when responding to the US remarks. He did not completely deny the US's considerations of Indo-Pacific strategy, but emphasized that "South Korea's top priority is to deal with North Korea." This is both a response to the US and a appeasement to China.
Li Zaiming's foreign strategy was carried out in such a multi-party crack. On the one hand, he emphasized defense independence and pushed for the recovery of wartime command power; On the other hand, it does not deny the importance of the ROK-US alliance, and at the same time tries to maintain a stable relationship with China through diplomatic mediation.
From a general point of view, the issue of the assignment of command during war may be only a cut, and the greater background is South Korea's attempt to find its own strategic rhythm in the U.S.-China game.
Lee Jae-myung's government is unwilling to choose sides between China and the United States, but intends to expand the room for manoeuvre by "strengthening itself".
It’s not the first time South Korea has taken a balance line, but this time it’s clearer, more proactive and more risky than ever before because in the face of strategic powers, every statement of a small country may be over-interpreted, and every move may be amplified.
But in any case, from four voices to policy statements, Lee Jae-myung has clearly told the world that South Korea should say its own words, go its own way and make its own calculations.
From one sentence from the US military to four voices from the South Korean president, this seemingly calm diplomatic confrontation actually hides long-standing strategic differences in the South Korea-US alliance.
In the context of the growing strength of China and the United States, South Korea's attempt to rush from "attachment" to "independence" is both a must-see path of national development and a profound intervention in the future security pattern in Northeast Asia.
The struggle for command in wartime is not only a game of military control, but also a real picture of small countries fighting for voice in the big chess game. Next, whether South Korea can steadfastly steadfast in the "neither distant nor distant" clutches, may be the real point of view of this game.
Source of information:
South Korean Defense Minister: Disagree with the US Army Secretary's claim that the US military stationed in South Korea needs to simultaneously respond to the threat from China: Hankyoreh
Will Lee be able to reclaim Korean military command during the war? 2025-10-14
Li Zai-ming is dissatisfied with the new move of the US military in South Korea and calls for South Korea to defend independently/Source: @ Global Times 2025-10-07 15:11