Sending admiral to South Korea as US ambassador could ‘complicate’ military chain of command, ex-Pentagon official says
Harry Harris is reported to be the choice to be the next American envoy to Seoul, a post that has been vacant since US President Donald Trump took office
The choice of Admiral Harry Harris to fill the long-vacant US ambassadorship to South Korea has drawn split opinions among experts in Washington, with a former Pentagon official worrying that it could cause problems within the military chain of command in Seoul and others confident that Harris, if nominated, could make the transition from a military to civilian role in a global hot spot.
Abraham Denmark, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asia in US President Barack Obama’s administration, told the South China Morning Post that installing Harris, a four-star admiral who is outgoing commander of US forces in the Pacific, as the top civilian diplomat in Seoul could “potentially complicate” his relations with the commander of US forces in South Korea and the US defence secretary.
On US military issues regarding Seoul, the top authorities are the commander of American forces in South Korea and the US secretary of defence secretary, Denmark said.
“Appointing a retired four-star admiral will significantly complicate those dynamics, even if all [three] Americans go in with the best of intentions,” Denmark said.
The current commander of US forces in South Korea is General Vincent Brooks, who also holds four stars. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis retired from the US Marine Corps as a four-star general when he assumed his current role.