Heritage report on U.S. forces in Korea

Following the inter-Korean Summit, as the conditions and status quo of East Asia are in a tremendous flux, a comprehensive re-examination of the purpose and scope of the U.S. forces in both Japan and Korea must be conducted, according to the U.S. conservative policy think tank the Heritage Foundation.

Larry M. Wortzel, director of the Asian Studies Center of the Heritage Foundation, suggested in the foundation`s report, "Planning for the Future," the need for such a re-examination, as the voices calling for complete removal of the military presence have been increasing in the two nations.

Excerpts from the report:

There has been a sea change in the political landscape in Northeast Asia, particularly on the Korean peninsula. In South Korea, the success of multiparty democracy is changing how the United States interacts with its ally.

President Kim Dae-Jung must deal with voters who increasingly question the size and duration of America`s military presence. The summit between North and South Korea in mid-June increased the calls across the peninsula for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops at a time when the Republic of Korea and the United States are about to renegotiate the Status of Forces Agreement on U.S. forces in Korea. Meanwhile, popular support for America`s presence in Japan is falling.

But removing America`s military presence from either ally would significantly alter Asia`s security landscape, with potentially serious consequences.

Clearly, the presence of U.S. forces must be acceptable to the people of the host countries. And these forces must be prepared to undertake a variety of tasks, including traditional exercises with allies and other forms of military contact, as well as disaster relief missions, non-combat evacuation operations (helping remove American and allied citizens from threatening situations), removal of mines, peace enforcement and short-term peacekeeping that has a well-defined exit strategy, and addressing such problems as smuggling and the drug trade.

The military focus in Asia should be on strategic capabilities rather than sheer numbers of troops. The U.S. force, regardless of structure, must be mobile, ready to act quickly in a time of crisis, and capable of responding to the different needs across the region that arise from changing political, economic and cultural circumstances.