Former U.S. Ambassadors Reject Claims of Anti-Americanism in Yoon Administration

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a senior secretary meeting at the Blue House on June 4. [Photo: Yonhap]

Former U.S. ambassadors to South Korea have countered claims made in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that labeled the Yoon administration as 'radical left' and suggested it leans more toward China than the United States. They argue that President Yoon understands the value of the Korea-U.S. alliance and that it is inappropriate to label South Korean politics as anti-American.

According to Yonhap News, Philip Goldberg and Catherine Stevens, former U.S. ambassadors, made these statements during a seminar held by the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) in Washington, D.C., on June 4.

Goldberg stated, "I do not agree with the assessment that views President Yoon as a radical figure." He emphasized that the president has a strong understanding of the alliance with the U.S., particularly regarding the value of the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Stevens also distanced himself from the perception of the Yoon administration as anti-American. He noted, "Support for the Korea-U.S. alliance remains bipartisan in South Korea," adding that President Yoon is aware that a significant portion of the South Korean public desires a strong relationship with the United States. He pointed out the need to distinguish between opposition to specific U.S. policies and anti-American sentiment.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed on June 1 by Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute and Lawrence Peck of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, asserting that the Yoon administration exhibits a radical leftist inclination and favors China over the U.S. They argued that certain diplomatic and security issues could pose challenges to the Korea-U.S. alliance.

* This article has been translated by AI.

AJP