The White House has pulled back from nominating a respected foreign policy expert to be the U.S. ambassador to South Korea after he expressed concerns over policy decisions related to North Korea, according to a report Tuesday in The Washington Post. Officials had hoped he would be confirmed before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which begin next month. The Post, citing people familiar with the appointment, said Cha’s nomination was derailed after he expressed concerns about the consideration of a limited, preemptive strike on North Korea meant to send a message to the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un. That prospect has become known as the “bloody nose” strategyCha reportedly also said he opposed to plans to undermine a U.S. trade deal with South Korea, which Trump called “horrible” last year and has threatened to end. Cha was widely seen a hawkish choice regarding engagement with North Korea, a stance that appeared to be in line with the Trump administration.

Source: Huffington Post January 31, 2018 00:31 UTC