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The U.S. took the opportunity of just-concluded Security Policy Initiative talks with Korea to press for a new bombing range for the U.S. Forces Korea to replace a facility in Maehyang-ri that was shut down. The U.S. says its Air Force needs somewhere to practice and could move off the peninsula for training if Korea does not oblige.
Assistant Defense Minister for Policy Kwon An-do, who represented Korea at the regular talks, told reporters Friday the U.S. repeated the warning and asked for the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible. A string of such statements have come from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, USFK Commander Gen. Burwell Bell and others over recent months.
After the Maehyang-ri range was shut down, there were plans to move bomber training to the Jikdo range in Kunsan, North Jeolla Province, but local government and citizens protested.
The two-day meeting that started Thursday reached a provisional agreement on a ˇ°Joint Vision Studyˇ± which the two sides have been negotiating for the last two years, except on one or two sticking points. On the most controversial issue, who should pay for the environmental cleanup at bases that USFK stands to vacate, the two sides have almost reached a compromise. "We've found a level concerning the environmental cleanup that both sides can for the most part accept," Kwon said. "The rest is just walking through the transfer procedures as prescribed by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).ˇ±
North Korea's missile tests last week made a late entry on the agenda. The two sides agreed about the danger they pose to peace on the peninsula and the region, calling for cooperation between the two countries to respond to such actions.
Research on turning wartime operational command of its troops over to Korea will continue, with a roadmap to be presented at the 38th Security Consultative Meetings in Washington.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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