The government told no, we now learn from the U.S. Forces in Korea after the Chosun Ilbo reported the plans a few days ago.

The WRSA is stores of ammunition, equipment and parts stockpiled here by the Americans for use in a war. The precise scale and contents of the stores are not known, but it’s said that up to 99.8 percent of the WRSA is ammunition. The allied forces of the U.S. and Korea set for themselves the goal of having enough ammunition to last 60 days in the event of an emergency. Without the WRSA, the assessment is that the Korean military doesn’t even have 10 days’ worth. If the U.S. military removes its stores, a gaping hole would open up in Korea’s ability to defend itself.

How the WRSA will be disposed of is important as well. It belongs to Washington, which can do what it likes with it. Because the ordinance is directly linked to our defensive capabilities, it is being said that the most realistic plan would be for Seoul to buy it, at an estimated bargain price of W1 trillion (US$1 billion). That would require a significant amount of taxpayers’ money.

That’s how important the WRSA is. But the government decided to do nothing for close to a year and hide the U.S. notification in a deep drawer. If the USFK had kept mum, we still wouldn’t know what is going on.

“All we need to do is negotiate to buy the supplies in 2006,” a government official said. The official also said the WRSA “is an important part of our security.” But there are in any case no problems even if the WRSA is dumped because, he says, “we have the capability to handle things on our own.” If that is the case, the government had better come up with some concrete evidence fast to reassure the people.