Washington, DC -- Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led 21 Democrats in a letter to President Trump condemning his decision to halt the U.S.-ROK Ulchi Freedom Shield Exercise last month. The lawmakers outline how the decision has undermined the long-standing and critical alliance between the United States and South Korea, as well as American national security interests on the Korean peninsula and throughout the region.
Read the letter in full here.
“We write with alarm at your decision to unilaterally halt the U.S.-ROK Ulchi Freedom Shield Exercise which started on August 17, and to do so without prior notice to South Korea. This decision has strained a 73-year alliance and risks undermining readiness, security, and deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. We urge you to reverse course and affirm that bilateral and multilateral military exercises with South Korea will continue as planned and not be linked to other bilateral policy issues.
(. . .)
“Your public comments justifying the decision have included false claims that denigrate the alliance and economic partnership the United States shares with Korea, as well as the tangible steps that the President Lee Jae Myung has taken to strengthen the U.S.-ROK partnership. Your decision to unilaterally move THAAD assets off the Peninsula and drain essential U.S. munitions in the war against Iran had already presented challenges to South Korea. Now, by halting joint exercises at the last minute without notification and consultation, you have damaged trust between our militaries and governments and made security cooperation more difficult.”
Read the letter in full here.
“We write with alarm at your decision to unilaterally halt the U.S.-ROK Ulchi Freedom Shield Exercise which started on August 17, and to do so without prior notice to South Korea. This decision has strained a 73-year alliance and risks undermining readiness, security, and deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. We urge you to reverse course and affirm that bilateral and multilateral military exercises with South Korea will continue as planned and not be linked to other bilateral policy issues.
(. . .)
“Your public comments justifying the decision have included false claims that denigrate the alliance and economic partnership the United States shares with Korea, as well as the tangible steps that the President Lee Jae Myung has taken to strengthen the U.S.-ROK partnership. Your decision to unilaterally move THAAD assets off the Peninsula and drain essential U.S. munitions in the war against Iran had already presented challenges to South Korea. Now, by halting joint exercises at the last minute without notification and consultation, you have damaged trust between our militaries and governments and made security cooperation more difficult.”
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