Skip to comments.
S. Korea President: 'No US troops in S. Korea in a decade'
Straits Times ^
Posted on 01/10/2003 8:10:35 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
SEOUL - President-elect Roh Moo Hyun has suggested that the tens of thousands of US troops in the country since the 1950-53 war could be gone within as little as a decade, giving Seoul responsibility for its own defence.
Facing North-Korea's one-million strong army, South Korea's military is not unprepared, said Mr Roh.
Mr Roh tapped anti-American sentiment as he swept to victory on a manifesto that backed his mentor's 'sunshine policy' of engaging communist North Korea.
'Although we don't know if it might take 10, 20 or 30 years, someone has to consider an independent defence,' Mr Roh told the Seoul International Forum, published in Choongang Ilbo newspaper.
South Korea, which faces North Korea's one-million strong army across the world's most heavily fortified border, was not unprepared, he said.
'Senior military officials have to prepare a plan for a special emergency situation on the Korean peninsula when the US army moves away,' he said
His remarks come amid a growing chorus of calls from conservative US politicians and think-tanks that it may be time to remove the 37,000 US troops in South Korea.
Meanwhile, US business circles have expressed strong complaints over the growing anti-American sentiment, threatening to cut their Korea-bound investments and halt bilateral cooperation projects, the Federation of Korean Industries said yesterday.
It said it has received a letter of protest from the US Chamber of Commerce, containing deep grievances against the spread of hostility towards the United States.
The letter warned the anti-US actions, complicated by the nuclear crisis, could prompt US investors to boycott Korea. --Reuters, Korea Herald/ Asia News Network
TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100, 101-110 next last
To: Angelus Errare
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.
81
posted on
01/11/2003 7:38:47 AM PST
by
TexKat
To: MissAmericanPie
What you said MAP. I couldn't agree more!
To: MissAmericanPie
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.
83
posted on
01/11/2003 8:01:00 AM PST
by
scannell
To: cynicom
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.
To: NormsRevenge
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.
85
posted on
01/11/2003 9:50:11 AM PST
by
cynicom
To: Check6
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.
To: DeaconBenjamin
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.
87
posted on
01/11/2003 10:05:03 AM PST
by
LaGrone
To: norton
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.
To: cynicom
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.
To: Walkingfeather
Seems like Roh wasn't paying attention to what happened when the Philippines threw us out of Clark and Subic Bay.
To: DB
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.
To: NormsRevenge
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.
To: JRandomFreeper
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?
93
posted on
01/11/2003 10:21:13 AM PST
by
Ranger
To: Angelus Errare
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.
To: 537 Votes
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. -
To: All
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.
96
posted on
01/11/2003 10:51:37 AM PST
by
David1
To: DeaconBenjamin
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.
To: 537 Votes
"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.
To: DeaconBenjamin
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?
99
posted on
01/11/2003 11:25:36 AM PST
by
Grampa Dave
(Support Free Republic. Become a monthly donor ! Taxcuts are for Taxpayers!)
To: MissAmericanPie
And kick the dust off our boots as we are leaving.......
100
posted on
01/11/2003 12:05:00 PM PST
by
b4its2late
(Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark!)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100, 101-110 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson