Monday's proposal of the United States to move one brigade-level of its 37,000 soldiers in South Korea to Iraq aroused concern that it may be the first step of reduction of US troops in South Korea.

Since the end of Korean War (1950-1953), the US has maintained some 37,000 troops on the Korean Peninsula. Any news about US Forces Korea (USFK) has always affected South Korean people's nerves.

From late last year, media reports frequently quoted sources in South Korean or US government as saying Washington may pull out some troops here to reinforce forces in Iraq. But military authorities of the two countries both denied such "speculation."

Monday morning, South Korean influential newspaper JongAng Daily quoted unidentified South Korean official as saying that US government plans to withdraw a brigade-level force from the 2nd Infantry Division, the most forward-deployed USFK troops near the inter-Korean border, and send it to Iraq.

The report quickly spread in South Korean media, and eventually was partially confirmed by official of South Korean Foreign Ministry.

Things developed quickly than expectation. Monday afternoon, South Korean Foreign Ministry said United States Deputy National Security Advisor Steve Hadley called South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon earlier Monday, officially asking for redeploying one brigade-level US forces here to Iraq. And Ban replied to Hadley, he "understood and agreed" with the US plan.

Various conjectures emerged after the news announced.

Experts discussed whether those 4,000 troops redeployed to Iraq will return to South Korea after their missions finish. And whether the redeployment is the first-step for reduction of USFK.

The US wants to divert some 4,000 from the 14,000-member 2nd Infantry Division, which is stationed in Dongducheon near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Previously, South Korea and the US agreed to retreat the 2nd Infantry Division from the area near the inter-Korean border to southern part of Seoul as part of US troops realignment plan here.

South Korean analysts said Washington's plan to transfer 4,000 troops here to Iraq not only means the US has some shortage of forces in Iraq but also is closely linked to its long-term global strategy to realign its troop level in foreign states.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once strongly indicated that the 100,000 US troops in Japan and South Korea could be downsized as part of the American military's new global strategy, which calls for quicker troop deployment from one place to another.

"The need to cut down the number of US troops was shown in the case of dispatch of Stryker wheeled vehicle to South Korea and its11 billion US dollars force improvement program," said Kim Il-young, a US expert at SungKyunKwan University in Seoul.

Furthermore, some worry that any US troop reduction or temporary redeployment to Iraq could weaken South Korea's defense capability.

"It is true that there is concern about a security vacuum with the US troops reduction, but it will be made in phases, which means the South Korean government should prepare itself for such a scenario," said Kim Chang-soo, a researcher at the (South) Korea Institute for Defense Analysis.

Hadley also urged South Korea to accelerate the proceeding of the troop dispatch plan in telephone conversation with Ban.

At the request of Washington, Seoul decided to dispatch 3,000 troops to Iraq besides the some 500 non-combating troops which no ware working in the Middle East country. But the plan was delayed for several times in wake of deteriorating security situation and changing of deployment site.

Recently, due to the report of abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US and Britain troops, more and more South Koran people opposed the troop dispatch plan.

Some new lawmakers also called on Seoul to reconsider the troop dispatch plan.

Senior officials of South Korean government insisted Seoul will continue preparation for the dispatch despite of such appeal. But President Roh Moo-hyun, who reinstated by Constitutional Court on last Friday, has not made clear stance over the hot issue.

Source: Xinhua