Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 500% as Seoul questions alliance

[soryang]

29. Right, behind the scenes I'm fairly certain it is worse

This pressure is being coordinated in my opinion with the LKP, and other far right elements domestically in South Korea, including former generals and allegedly active duty generals, and evangelical organizations, in effect creating a Constitutional crisis in South Korea.

It is widely surmised in South Korea, that the US is harboring the former Defense Security Command commander, who fled the country. He planned a martial law crackdown, in other words a militay coup in early 2017 to stop the impeachment of Park Geun-hye:

Other observers have attempted to belittle the significance of the martial law plans, suggesting that at worst, they were only contingency plans to deal with public disorder rather than a coup d'etat to overthrow the constitutional order. It is not clear what happened during the very last days preceding the conviction of Park Geun-hye by the Constitutional Court. The critical witness to the formulation of the martial law plans, and their potential execution was the commander of the Defense Security Command, Cho Hyun-cheon ( 조현천 기무사령관 ). He was the key person involved in their development. It is important to note in this regard, that the same role was played by former president Chun Du-won as the Defense Security Command commander after the assassination of Park Chung-hee (Park Geun-hye's father) forty years earlier after the fall of the Yushin Constitution. The coup planning DSC commander Cho Hyun-cheon, in question now, fled South Korea, and his whereabouts are allegedly unknown. Interpol has refused to issue a warrant calling for his arrest citing a policy not to use legal process in political cases. All of this is according to an interview of Im Tae-hun of the Military Human Rights Center ( 임태훈 군인권센터 ) who represents the whistle blower who leaked classified NSC documents. *

Hwang Kyo-ahn Has it Both Ways Oct 28
As long as, the former prime minister is suspected of considering martial law plans in 2017, he seeks to take political credit from those who would have welcomed martial law, while denying he had any role.
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2019/10/hwang-kyo-ahn-doubles-down.html