USA To MAINTAIN Front-Line D.M.Z. Troops In S. Korea (Bush-Roh Summit Mtg. Results)

The Korea Herald (in English), Seoul, S. Korean ^ | 16 May 2003 | Kim Hyung-jin (Korea Herald) in English

[AmericanInTokyo]

U.S. To Maintain Frontline (D.M.Z.) Troops in South Korea (Korea Herald Report)

The joint statement between the leaders of South Korea and the United States indicates that Washington will not relocate its major combat unit stationed in the vicinity of the heavily-armed inter-Korean border until North Korea's nuclear issue is resolved, defense officials said.

They said the summit also helped defuse concerns among South Koreans that Washington will reduce or withdraw its 37,000 troops currently based in South Korea.

In an apparent reference to the realignment of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division, the statement said, "They shared the view that the relocation of U.S. bases north of the Han River (in Seoul) should be pursued, taking careful account of the political, economic and security

Lt. Gen. Cha Young-koo, deputy minister for policy at Seoul's Defense Ministry, said the statement implied that the U.S. side will defer its alleged plan to realign the 2nd Infantry Division.

"The United States meant it will take more time to resolve the matter on the relocation of the infantry division, in view of the North's nuclear threats and other regional issues," Cha said.

The 2nd Infantry Division, based in Dongducheon and Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province, immediately south of the Demilitarized Zone, is often referred to as a "trip wire" that guarantees a quick, automatic U.S. intervention in the event of a North Korean invasion. Some analysts say the division's relocation might signal a U.S. move to gradually extract its 37,000 troops from the peninsula.

He also said Bush hinted the United States will not reduce or withdraw its troops, touching on other parts of the statement; President Bush reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a robust forward presence on the peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Through the word 'robust forward presence,' Bush dispelled any suspicion about Washington's possible reduction or withdrawal of the U.S. forces here," he said.

Cha is chief delegate to a bilateral consultation dubbed the "Future of the Alliance's Policy Initiative."

Meanwhile in the statement, South Korea's Roh Moo-hyun and Bush also reaffirmed they will strengthen and modernize the combined deterrent force against the North, by expanding Seoul's defense role and reorganizing U.S. bases scattered around the peninsula.

The two leaders agreed to work out plans to consolidate U.S. forces around key hubs in a bid to modernize the 50-year-old bilateral military alliance.

Analysts noted the agreement backed the remarks April 25 by Maj. Gen. James Soligan, deputy chief of staff of the USFK that the U.S. will reorganize its troops in Korea into two hubs over the long term - one in Osan and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province and the other in Daegu and Busan.

The also reaffirmed that the two nations will relocate the U.S. base in Yongsan in central Seoul.

(khj@koreaherald.co.kr)

By Kim Hyung-jin

[AmericanInTokyo]

[GOP_1900AD]

Hmmmm... the one on the left.... are those.. diamonds I see embedded in his face?.... ;) In all seriousness, I am glad that the Leftists now in power in S. Korea have started to realize the grave nature of the DPRK threat.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Looks like the lad's waist size is about 22 inches.

[arthurus]

I would guess that officially saying that we will keep the troops on the DMZ means we are renouncing a military solution of the NK problem. That does not seem to be a good negotiation move. If we strike against the NK artillery and nukes we need to have our troops somewhere else.

[arthurus]

I suspect they realize that removing American troops is probably a prelude to an American heavy hit on NK which would make anyone in Seoul nervous.

[LibertarianInExile]

Well, that's great for Noh but complete horse$#!# for our troops, and means that Noh will get back and the protests will start all over again. That's just F'in SPIFFY!

Can't they play the Korean/Asian game for once, and string them along? I mean, what would it have hurt to have put Noh off until Iraq was resolved?

What a dumb move. Kim will be bringing out the MiGs tomorrow.

[AmericanInTokyo]

....oh, now don't you worry about that toothpick of a lad...they'll feast on a hearty plate of spicy boiled dog tonight at the barracks back in Kaesong City...

[AmericanInTokyo]

its not so much the MIGs I worry about....

[ALS]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think the NKs went through their last dog decades ago. I really think most of the NK Army could be outfitted at Tots to Teens.

[AmericanInTokyo]

My good friend, (then) Sgt _____ Yang-il of the ROK Army, posted on the DMZ at the time, told me of the time he and one other border guardsman were patrolling the MDL fence, checking the rocks placed in the fence and for NK footprints and what not, and two KPA Northies were cooking a dog over a fire across the demarcation line. They lifted it up, pointing at it, and loudly taunted or rather, invited the ROK soldiers, in Korean, with "Hey, soldier from the South side. Come on up here. Tonight we are feast on dog. It's good. Come over and have some with us!"

It was one of the wilder stories at that time I had heard (in the 1980s).

Believe it or not, the guy is a fashion designer now and married a Frenchwoman. He was just in to put in his mandatory service, whatever.

[LibertarianInExile]

All I mean is they'll start up with the provocations and harassment again, probably even kill a couple of our boys or Korean kids, and then what? We'll shuddup and take it. Because we let Noh tell us what to do. If we'd just deferred the decision, said, "Get us a space ready and we'll talk about when we're moving there, but we ARE moving," then Kim would still be wondering when we're dropping the bomb and he'd tread a little more lightly.

As it is, he knows he can get us involved, and that's his goal--to be a player on the stage and seem to be the equal of the U.S. to his and other anti-U.S. peoples (including South Korea, btw).

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #12

Things can always change. I think that, for now, America is looking for non-military means to resolve the current crisis. Destabilization via mass defection of N. Korean elites, economic sanction, shutting down money flow into N. Korea, to name a few. Military option is lurking in the background, though.