A 73-year-old alliance in the shadow of political disputes; South Korea's defense minister is criticized by the opposition.
Statements by South Korea's defense minister regarding the possibility of Seoul relying on the US military in the event of a war with North Korea have turned into political disputes over the future of the military alliance between the two countries. As the main opposition party of the government accused Kang Shinchul of undermining this alliance and demanded his removal. This difference is magnified as the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul is still a matter of debate.
Irna Jahan