US Demands More From 'Model Ally' South Korea While Tightening Imperial Grip
📰 THE STORY: U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby met with South Korean officials in Seoul to discuss alliance issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), defense cooperation, and cost-sharing for U.S. troops. Colby lauded South Korea as a “model ally” for committing to spend 3.5% of its GDP on defense, even as the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy
suggests South Korea should take primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with more limited U.S. support. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The U.S. maintains wartime operational control (OPCON) over South Korean forces, a vestige of the 1950-53 Korean War and subsequent armistice, which was never a peace treaty. This arrangement, unique among U.S. allies, means that
even in the event of an attack on their own soil, South Korean forces would be under U.S. command. Despite pledges for transfer since the 1990s, most recently delayed in 2020 until 'conditions are met,' the U.S. has repeatedly found reasons to retain this fundamental sovereignty-stripping authority. This ensures Washington's direct military control and leverage over Korean Peninsula affairs,
regardless of Seoul's elected government. Double Standard: While the U.S. pushes South Korea to spend 3.5% of its GDP on defense and take 'primary responsibility' for its own security, Washington simultaneously funds its own 'allies' like Israel with $3.8 billion annually, effectively subsidizing their military instead of asking them to self-finance. This creates a two-tiered system: some nations