MUCH of the language used by Mike Pence, America’s vice-president, on his three-day trip to South Korea this week was familiar: America stands “shoulder-to-shoulder” with South Korea in an alliance that is a “linchpin” for peace, he said; its commitment to its ally is “ironclad”. The partnership, Mr Pence insisted, will be stronger under Donald Trump than under his predecessor, Barack Obama.
The vice-president’s trip provided a little reassurance to South Korean officials, who have been feeling queasy about Mr Trump’s pronouncements. He once threatened to bring home the 28,000-odd American troops that have been stationed in South Korea for decades to guard against a North Korean attack. More recently Mr Trump seemed to be contemplating a pre-emptive strike on North Korea, prompting a frenzy of speculation in the South Korean media about whether he was serious. The local press is now worrying about “Korea passing”—the idea that America and China will strike a deal on North Korea without consulting the South.
Unease spiked on April 9th as reports emerged that an American flotilla led by the USS Carl Vinson, an...Continue reading
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