|
Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, the chief of staff of the U.S. Forces Korea, said on Friday that 1,000 of the current 12,000 Korean employees of the USFK will be laid off and forces' support contracts cut by 20 percent over the next two years. Campbell also suggested relocating some key military equipment reserved here for an emergency from South Korea.
The measures are a response to a decision reached in Korea-U.S. negotiations to slash Korea's share of the cost of keeping U.S. forces here by some W60 billion (US$60 million) this year.
In a tit for tat, the U.S. has made it clear that it will compensate for Korea's reduction in its forces upkeep contribution by a corresponding saving in expenses. In the cost-sharing negotiations, Seoul insisted on cutting its share because it says additional defense outlays are needed for its troop dispatch to Iraq and the relocation of the Yongsan Garrison.
That Washington has accepted Korea's request but is unwilling to take over the burden indicates that a shift in the Korea-U.S. relationship is now affecting their military cooperation as well.
The USFK military equipment deployed here for any emergency is hardware it would be difficult to transport in wartime and constitutes a very important element of deterrence against North Korea. It is doubtful if a full consultation took place in advance with our government on Campbell's remarks that some of the equipment could be moved out of the country.
Given that the U.S. has been telling us that even if USFK strength is cut, it will try to leave as much equipment here as possible, it is hard to believe that cost saving alone is behind the move. No: this looks more as though the alliance is beginning to slacken.
The government must think carefully about the consequences, in terms of both responsibility and money, of advocating its "cooperative independent defense" and Korea's much vaunted new role as a stabilizer in Northeast Asia.
|
