On the Korean Peninsula, Watch Tangible Movement – Not Rhetoric

By Admiral Jonathan Greenert

Jonathan W. Greenert is a retired four-star admiral and former Chief of Naval Operations (2011-2015). Over the course of his 40 year Navy career, he served 15 years in the Asia-Pacific region including Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander, U.S. Seventh (Asia-Pacific) Fleet, establishing enduring relationships with his foreign counterparts.  He also served as Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Chief Financial Officer (N8-Navy) and Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Greenert retired from military service in October 2015 and currently holds the Chair in National Security (General John Shalikashvili Chair) for the National Bureau for Asian Research, and serves as a consultant, adviser and director on corporate boards.

The U.S.-South Korea joint Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises begin Monday, after days of bellicose rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – and followed by Defense Secretary James Mattis announcing there will be “strong military consequences” if North Korea “initiates hostilities.” Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with their Japanese counterparts in mid-August to discuss North Korea. The two countries said in a joint statement the U.S. is committed to “deploying its most advanced capabilities” in missile defense to Japan. 

Meanwhile, China – which is angered over a trade probe launched last week by the Trump Administration to investigate China’s intellectual property practices – will be watching the exercises closely, hoping for continued stability on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang, for its part, sees the annual exercises as preparation by the U.S. and South Korea for potential invasion.

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