In a compromise, Korea and the United States agreed Friday to complete the handover of full wartime operational control of Korean troops to Seoul between Oct. 15, 2009 and March 15, 2012. The two sides issued a 14-point joint communiqué at the end of further negotiations after the 38th Security Consultative Meeting headed by Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld.
 |
|
Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld talk during a joint press conference at the Pentagon on Friday.
|
 |
|
The joint communiqué also includes the ¡°extended deterrence¡± offered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella and confirms U.S. commitment to and immediate support for Korea in case of war under the Mutual Defense Treaty between Korea and the U.S. This is the first time that ¡°extended deterrence¡± -- a concept that allows a nuclear-strategic response to deter an attack on the territory or troops of allies -- has been included in the SCM communiqué. The U.S. applies this to NATO.
The two sides agreed to complete a speedy handover of wartime operation control no later than March 15, 2012, but added the transfer will proceed according to a reasonable timetable agreed by both sides. Korea had all along aimed for 2012 but the U.S. favored 2009.
The two allies will report progress on the transfer at annual SCM meetings through the Military Committee Meeting and embark on work so specific plans can be mapped by the first half of 2007.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
