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The U.S. is playing tit-for-tat by offering to hand over wartime operational control of troops to Korea at what experts say is the unfeasibly early date of 2009-2010, a high-ranking official speculated Monday. Seoul aims at the ¡°withdrawal¡± of wartime control of Korean troops, as it is officially termed, in six years¡¯ time. "Perhaps this is a counterattack motivated by anger because [U.S. authorities] feel Korea is seeking the 2012 withdrawal for political reasons," the official said.
A Korean source quoted a U.S. official as saying in recent bilateral discussions that Korea will not realistically be ready to exercise independent control of its forces even by 2012, but since that deadline appeared to be politically motivated, there was no reason for Washington to cling to military logic either.
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Soldiers take part in Korea-U.S Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) exercises on March 30, 2006.
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Another government official, asked to confirm the remarks, denied they were made at the negotiating table. ¡°But outside of negotiations, crossing the i¡¯s and dotting the t¡¯s of what the U.S. said, it does seem to be true that they¡¯re getting fed up." The issue appears to be turning into a war of nerves.
By picking 2012, the Korean government escapes responsibility for the withdrawal, since the process will not start until 2009, by which time the Roh Moo-hyun administration will be already gone.
Seoul also insists on the loaded term ¡°withdrawal¡± as the official designation for the project. "Since the issue first came up, the U.S. has asked Korea not use the word 'withdrawal'," the government official said. "But Cheong Wa Dae at the urging of the National Security Council has insisted.¡±
Given the divergence in views, the Foreign Ministry is said to have agonized what expression will be most suitable in formal negotiations on the matter. It decided ¡°withdrawal¡± seems appropriate after all since Korea relinquished operational control of its troops to the U.S. for the Korean war and is now taking it back.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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