S. Korea President: 'No US troops in S. Korea in a decade'

Straits Times ^

[TexKat]

At this rate, there won't be any South Korea left within a decade.

So be it.

Bring our men and women home to were they are needed and wanted. GOD BLESS AMERICA. LAND THAT I LOVE.

[snippy_about_it]

What you said MAP. I couldn't agree more!

[scannell]

Bring our troops home and protect our own borders. They should bring them home from the Balkins and let those people kill the Muslims threatening them. We should get out of Germany while we are at it, let Europe worry about Europe's defense.

And maybe we should slip an invoice under the door for 50 years of protection at a huge cost to the Ameriucan Taxpayer with a PS that there ungratitude has not gone unnoticed.

[NormsRevenge]

You do understand why I made my comment to you?

I spent some time in Korea and many other foreign countries in my younger days and have fond memories of South Korea, the people and their efforts in building a better country and world.

I would not wish death and destruction on any nation's peoples because their leaders and their enenmies leaders are unable to work for peace, rather then continue to follow the policies that tore them apart in the past.

I married into a Filipino-American family myself but it could just as easily have been a Korean or Vietnamese one as well.

Just some thoughts, good luck with your extended family of man.

[cynicom]

Norms...

I do not think anyone wishes destruction on others.

We shed much blood, life, and squandered much treasure in Korea. After 50 years, it is time they provide for themselves. Just as we must stop protecting Japan and let them spend their treasury for their own protection. We cannot protect those that will not protect themselves.

[Steel Wolf]

They are going to learn about communist "sunshine".

One of the joys of living in a socialist workers paradise, is that you get to spend plenty of time out of doors, working the fields, standing in parades, marching, singing, you name it.

Sunshine is about the only heating that communists can afford, so I hope they dress warm. It gets mighty chilly in Korea, and the Benevolent Leaders are lousy about paying the heating bill on time.

[LaGrone]

I agree with that. Let the S. Koreans defend themselves; they have six hundred thousand troops. The US cannot defend every country, every region. As long as we have enough forward bases in all regions, I say good enough. Let them solve their own problems. However, if the same regime is in power when we leave LOOK OUT! The N. Koreans will be in the capital in about thirty minutes.

[Steel Wolf]

Vietnam-ization" took about eight years (I know we were working on it in '68). Since that shift in responsibility worked so well, and gave us a model, I'd expect we could be out of S. Korea by, oh, say, July. They'll go down the chute in any event

Fine by me. I have no problem leaping to the defense of an ally in need, or to take down a tyrannical lunatic like Kim Jong Il. North Korea isn't on the axis of evil list by accident.

My enthusiasm is considerably dampened by thinking of Korea. I was there a couple years back, and they were very disdainful of the U.S. general and us (the soldiers) in particular. Seeing them march in the streets against us in huge numbers leads me to think that they should work out the North Korean problem on their own.

Were I a vet of the Korean War, I'd tell them to disarm and embrace the gentle, brotherly neightbor to the north.

As long as we keep any WMD or ballistic missile technology from being exported (a simple blockade would do, U.N. sanction enforced by the USN), we can leave them to embrace the joy of forced revolution and feel the love of Stalinist leadership.

[NormsRevenge]

We cannot protect those that will not protect themselves.

I don;t think we can just throw the baby out with the bathwater either. The press would have you believe all Koreans want us gone, or that they want to re-unify at any cost. It is not an easy issue to address because it involves so many other issues. We both have the same goals it sounds, just differents views on how to get there. Peace.

[DeaconBenjamin]

Seems like Roh wasn't paying attention to what happened when the Philippines threw us out of Clark and Subic Bay.

[Steel Wolf]

We should leave this year. Let them deal with consequences. No more American blood for people who hate us. Some of these countries need a dose of reality of what evil really exists.

Well said. If we're really such bad guys, then they should welcome the approaching NKPA troops with open arms. That would make a great study in the need to resist aggression in general and communism in particular. We could watch the lights in that satellite picture of Asia with North Korea as the black hole move steadily southward.

[Steel Wolf]

The press would have you believe all Koreans want us gone, or that they want to re-unify at any cost.

That's not true. The over sixty crowd is very pro-American. Its just that I never met anyone under 30 there that liked Americans, unless they were trying to sell me something. I would feel bad about the older generation falling under the whip of the North.

I've been warmly greeted and welcomed all over Asia, (China most of all, oddly enough), with the exception of South Korea.

[Ranger]

I've never been to S. Korea. The presidential election there and protests seem to strongly indicated to me our presence is not wanted. What is your read? Should we stay or should we go?

[537 Votes]

At this rate, there won't be any South Korea left within a decade.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information. South Korea is a very wealthy country that should begin footing the bill for its own defense. That the South Koreans think so too is to their credit.

In contrast, North Korea grows increasingly shabby under communist economics. Given the mass starvation, it is far more likely that North Korea will be gone within a decade.

[Steel Wolf]

I'm not sure where you're getting your information. South Korea is a very wealthy country that should begin footing the bill for its own defense. That the South Koreans think so too is to their credit.

Imagine this scenario, if you will.

US troops pull out of South Korea. A year later, under a fabricated pretext, the North invades the South.

Initially, the South reels back. Seoul is mostly leveled by artillery, Pusan, Osan, and other major cities are hit with persistant chemical weapons to cause panic and slow military mobilization. Millions flee south.

The ROK army recovers, activates its reserves, and stops the NKPA offensive near Seoul. Weeks of bloody fighting ensue, with the North slowly but steadily losing ground.

The ROK army makes it back to the DMZ area, takes out the fixed artillery, and proceeds North. Weeks or perhaps months later, at the gates of Pyongyang, Kim Jong Il and company commit suicide rather than face defeat.

North Korea capitulates, and submits to Southern control. Within a week, ten to fifteen million refugees are feeling south (and west) to escape the mass starvation caused by the war.

The South, already facing millions of its own refugees, must care for millions more, with their major cities in ruin.

- I think its fair to imagine that South Korea may suffer a little inconvenience if a war were to break out, even one they are very likely to win. -

[David1]

I think we should try a Letter to the Editor campaign to South Korean Newspapers. And let them know how their crap is tantamount to slapping and spitting in our faces after so many of our people died defending their stinkin land and how we are there risking so many of our soldiers lives to defend their own South Korean asses. I'm so pissed over all these ungrateful South Korean bastards.

Anyway, we can start with this Newspaper: http://english.chosun.com/

Letter to the Editor E-mail: letters@chosun.com
Please include your name and address. Although I would not put my address but where I'm from. In this case just the USA.

We can do other google searches to find other South Korean Newspapers and send Letters to the Editors to them too. We need to do this so we can get our points across to many of these South Korean protesters.

[Chi-townChief]

Great idea but let's pull out immediately and send them back all of their Hyundais, Samsungs, Daewoos, Kias, Gold Stars, etc. and tell the Koreans to stuck 'em up their butts.

[Angelus Errare]

"I'm not sure where you're getting your information. South Korea is a very wealthy country that should begin footing the bill for its own defense. That the South Koreans think so too is to their credit."

Judging from the comments I've seen from the South Korean leadership, it strikes me that they've chosen to adopt the ostrich position and appease Pyongyang rather actually deal with the situation. The primary reason that they want US troops out, based on what I've read, is because they feel that Bush is being "bellicose" and creating tensions with North Korea by refusing to negotiate (i.e. pay protection money) rather than a desire to put their national defense in their own hands.

"In contrast, North Korea grows increasingly shabby under communist economics. Given the mass starvation, it is far more likely that North Korea will be gone within a decade."

The problem is, Kim Jong Il doesn't care if his people starve so long as his military is up to snuff and he has all kinds of fun WMD toys to play with. And if North Korea starts selling nukes abroad, which they can now do "legally" since they've pulled out of the non-proliferation treaty (and what despot wouldn't want a few nukes for a rainy day?), I imagine the government can hold on awhile longer based on what it can extort from South Korea and Japan as well as from the governments that would pay to buy North Korean nukes. Iran, Libya, Syria, and Sudan are already avid buyers of North Korean weaponry and would be all too happy to pay for such items. Their cash may well give Kim Jong Il the resources he needs to hold on a little while longer yet.

[Grampa Dave]

Fine, Mr Roh Moo Hyun, how about we take all our troops out of S Korea and Japan.

Then you and the Japanese can handle this situation, or will it be the NKs and the ChiComs handling this situation.

Regardless, I have added another country to boycott re any purchases from our family for a long time, S. Korea! You guys hate us worse than the NKs. Maybe we should become allies of the NK's?

[b4its2late]

And kick the dust off our boots as we are leaving.......