Seoul ready to discuss US troops reduction

US President George W. Bush's announcement of plans to pull 60,000 to 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia confirmed the US troops partial pullout from South Korea, commented the South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

Bush made the announcement at a conference of US Veterans of Foreign Wars on Monday.

"Bush's announcement contained nothing new, but was meaningful as the first presidential confirmation, though indirectly, of the Global Posture Review (GPR) strategy," said Yonhap in an article.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon also expressed the similar stance, saying "The United States has informed us the content of the announcement earlier, and there is nothing new to South Korea."

He also indicated South Korea is ready to discuss with the United States on the issue.

US Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, who led a USdelegation to Future of the Alliance ( FOTA) talks in this June, informed Seoul of the US intention to withdraw one-third, or 12,500, of the total 37,500 the United States Forces Korea (USFK) by the end of 2005.

This confirmed former various local media reports that Washington was mulling to slash large amount of USFK in demand to realize its GPR strategy. And the plan stirred uneasiness locally.

Actually, to some extend, the USFK has started the cut operation already with the redeployment of some 3,600 military personnel to Iraq.

Those US military personnel, who left here earlier August for Iraq with core military equipment, will never return to South Korea even after their one year mission in the Middle East country ended.

Bush's announcement came just two days before a new round of FOTA talks, which to be held on Thursday to Saturday in Seoul to discuss details of the US proposed troops cut.

The South Korean government is expected to ask the United States to delay the schedule of troops reduction.

South Korean National Security Adviser Kwon Chin-ho said in July that the government will not accept the unilateral proposal made by the United States for the troops withdrawal.

Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung echoed such view earlier this month, saying "We will discuss thoroughly the make-up, size and timing of the US troops cut plan, after considering the South Korea-US combined security posture and the level of the South Korea's military build-up."

After Bush officially revealed the troops reduction plan, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency said Tuesday that the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded after consultations that security vacuum will be created if the USFK is cut by one- third and core military arms are transferred from the country by 2005.

South Korea will ask the United States to put off the timing of the troops reduction at least after the year of 2006 in the coming FOTA talks, Yonhap said.

The two sides kicked off FOTA talks two years ago. In July thisyear, the two sides reached a detailed agreement over the USFK's redeployment in South Korea, featured by the US troops first-ever pullout from the capital of Seoul.

According to the agreement, USFK will be moved to Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south to Seoul, by 2008.

USFK's headquarters-- the Yongsan Base in downtown Seoul will disappear after 50-year appearance in the heart of the country. Moreover, USFK's important combat unit, the US 2nd Infantry Division, will be also retreated to south of Seoul from the inter-Korean border.

A view is widely accepted here that South Korea is the most affected country in the US GPR strategy which is aiming to make US troops more agile and flexible forces.

Source: Xinhua