The United States expects to offer a plan within months to relocate a military base from Seoul as part of a realignment of U.S. forces in South Korea that could include the possible removal of American troops from the country. At issue is Yongsan Garrison, the headquarters for the U.S. military force that has been in South Korea since the Korean War 50 years ago to protect the south against possible incursion from communist North Korea. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters that the United States wanted to have at least a preliminary blueprint for a revised military relationship with South Korea by October.
| "Y'see this? This is South Korea. An' this here, this is North Korea. And way, waaay over here? This is the USA. You've got your troops here, an' they've got their troops up there. We're gonna put ours waaay over here. If anything changes, give us a call, okay? And try and keep your kids out of the street if you do." |
This would include "rebalancing some of our roles and responsibilities, relocating Yongsan and having some preliminary ideas for repositioning some U.S. forces south of the Han river" at the south end of downtown Seoul. The United States had said in 1991 that it wanted to move the facility, Davis said. He said U.S. officials were working with the South Korean government to identify within months areas where Yongsan could be relocated. The talks follow a series of demonstrations against U.S. forces by South Koreans and coincide with a tense stand-off between the United States and North Korea over the communist state's nuclear program.
| The SKors want us out of the way, so they can get on with the task of reunification. The NKors want us out of the way so they can get on with the task of, ummm... reunification. |
Davis said any moves in South Korea "would be a phased process that would take place over several years." Yongsan Garrison is in the heart of the South Korean capital. It occupies more than 600 acres (240 hectares) and has many facilities associated with a small city. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said earlier this month the stationing of U.S. troops near the border with North Korea had become intrusive to South Korea, and said forces could be moved southward or out of South Korea altogether. Rumsfeld said Army Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, and others were involved in the process of considering ways to realign the American force of about 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
| Lotsa room for them around Lincoln, Nebraska, I think... |
Davis said U.S. facilities, especially those near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that cuts across the peninsula, were "not sustainable." He said: "A lot of that is due to urbanization as Seoul has grown over the last 50 years. Much of it has grown to the north such that a lot of these areas — these remote camps, bases that abut the DMZ — are now surrounded by residential areas." He said this "makes it difficult for us to be good neighbors," noting that people anywhere "don't like to live next to military bases — they're loud, they cause problems."
| Building your house next door to an airbase, and then complaining about the noise, seems to be a universal habit. Stupid, but universal... |
Davis said having U.S. troops surrounded by heavily urbanized areas also had tactical disadvantages. "It would prevent us from rapid mobility," Davis said. "The idea here is if there is an attack from the North, we want to be able to be mobile, to move quickly and to consolidate our forces."
| "I don't care if it is a school day! Get those kids out of the streets! There's a human wave of screaming juche communists coming!" |
The presence of U.S. troops has become increasingly controversial, with some critics in South Korea saying the Bush administration has hindered closer ties between Seoul and North Korea. There also is concern in South Korea about alleged crimes committed by U.S. troops. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has asked the United States to study the bilateral relationship.
| "Tell you what: you're not a poor, Third World country anymore, like you were back in '51. You're a major industrial power. Do it yourself." |
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