Hubbard confirms plan to realign forces in Korea

The Korean Herald ^ | 2003.02.19 | Shin Yong-bae Staff reporter

[JerseyHighlander]

The top U.S. envoy in Seoul confirmed yesterday Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recent statement stressing the need for the realignment of 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

"As both our forces have modernized, the possibilities for a new division of roles have grown," Amb. Thomas Hubbard said in a forum of the Alumni Association of the Advanced Management Program at Seoul National University.

He also added that the two countries will review how many U.S. troops are required in South Korea in line with a new international security order that demands more reliance on troop mobility.

The envoy's remarks came after Rumsfeld said before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the United States will discuss readjusting the roles of U.S. troops in the South with the incoming Seoul government.

The defense secretary mentioned possibly cutting the number of U.S. ground troops. He said Washington will focus on reinforcing the Air Force and Navy, with U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Seoul and from areas south of the Demilitarized Zone.

Hubbard reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend the security of South Korea in accordance with a mutual military alliance, saying the United States is not considering pulling all of its troops out of South Korea.

But the ambassador said, "There is definitely room for changes in our alliance," and, "Our alliance not only should be balanced, it must be seen as being so."

He was apparently referring to South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's call for Washington to study the relationship between the two countries and propose ways to "rebalance" it. Roh reportedly delivered his position to top U.S. officials when his envoy visited Washington early this month.

On North Korea's nuclear threat, the U.S. diplomat emphasized that the issue should be resolved through a multilateral body including South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, rather than bilateral talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

"Such a multilateral dialogue could offer Pyongyang a way out of its self-imposed isolation and a way to improve the lives of its people," he said. "Regrettably, Pyongyang has turned a deaf ear to this call."

(shinyb@koreaherald.co.kr)

By Shin Yong-bae Staff reporter

[JerseyHighlander]

Spheres of influence are shifting, how many more years will US troops man the DMZ border?

[WatchNKorea]

Bring all 37,000 U S troops home and let the South Koreans and their liberal govt. worry about their own problems.

[griffin]

Interesting move. Why would "dear leader" pull any garbage now as long as the posibility exists for the US to remove some troops? Would be smart for the North Korean dear leader to cool his jets until our troops are out, no?

GREAT incentive for him to calm down for a few months! :) Smart Bushie!!

[kabar]

It is time to wean these countries off of security welfare. South Korea has double the population of the DPRK, a well-equipped and trained military of 700,000, and a GDP more than 20 times the DPRK. Moreover, the public mood of South Korea is decidely anti-American. Let's continue our military alliance with South Korea by keeping our naval forces in the area along with our bases in Japan to provide the nuclear shield should the DPRK threaten to use their WMD against the South. We don't need these trip wire troops any longer.