The headwinds of Victor Cha’s objection to ‘bloody nose’ strike

When news broke that Victor Cha, a chair-professor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, had been rejected for his appointment as U.S. ambassador to Korea due to his disagreement with the Trump administration’s preventative “bloody nose” strike on North Korea, there has been mounting criticism over the measure within the United States.

“If you want to bet that if you are going to attack North Korea and think that Kim Jong Un and the North Koreans are not going to retaliate — it’s a pretty big gamble,” said former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. “Let’s be smarter. I wouldn’t want to take that gamble.”

Democrats voiced strong opposition. “Under the Trump administration, we’ve reached a point where opposing armed conflict is a disqualifier from serving as Ambassador, which represents a troubling development,” said Tammy Duckworth, Illinois senator and Iraq war veteran who lost both of her legs during combat.


Gi-Jae Han record@donga.com