The timing of the relocation would be the most important thing to consider, Mr. Goh said. If a shifting of the U.S. troops is carried out, its deterrent capability should not be weakened, and its role as a "tripwire" - to ensure a U.S. military response if North Korea were to attack - must not be impaired. He said the preconditions necessary for a relocation were the solving of the nuclear issue and the maintenance of the deterrence and tripwire functions of the U.S. forces.

Mr. Hubbard said that the United States would consult with the Korean government on any relocation program. Any relocation plan would be designed to strengthen the war deterrence power on the peninsula, and North Korea must be fully aware of that, he said. He added that Pyeongyang's restarting of its main reactor and the threat it made recently to the U.S. spy plane were extremely serious, isolated the regime even more and did nothing to help North Korea. He said that if North Korea is to achieve the stabilization of its regime and receive economic assistance, it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. (Han Jae-hyun, rookie@chosun.com )