U.S. 2nd Infantry Division Re-deployment Delayed

South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to maintain the current status of the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division for the time being. There was a previous dispute over whether to re-deploy the Division south of the Han River. The agreement will be announced on May 15, following the summit between the two head of states.

“The re-deployment issue will be discussed carefully with the U.S., paying attention to the overall situation including political and economical atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula,” said Foreign Affairs aide Ban Gi-moon at a briefing session on the 14th. He is currently accompanying President Roh on his visit to the U.S.

Mr. Ban implied that the two countries agreed on the issue on practical terms when answering a question presented by journalists. “The 2nd Infantry Division will not be moved until the North Korean nuclear issue is resolved,” he said.

Another high-level official from the government said that “the U.S. administration took the position that it would concede to Korea concerning whether to re-deploy the U.S. troops. President Roh has already shown his intention of not moving the Division, so it is expected that the summit will go smoothly in this regard.”

Further disputes may arise however, from the vagueness of the answer concerning the much talked about re-deployment of troops.

It is reported that the two nations will reaffirm their existing position that they would make efforts to move the Seoul Yongsan garrison as soon as possible.

President Roh and George W. Bush will have a meeting on May 15 at the White House. They will release a joint declaration reconfirming efforts toward a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.

They will state positions on such issues as North Korean policy, and the Korea-U.S. alliance based on military and economic matters.

The joint declaration will include working towards a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue and further joint measures to be set up through the U.S.-Japan and Korea-Japan summits which will be held on May 23.

“I will not go any further than reaffirming our desire for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue. Until the trilateral meeting is finished, it is difficult to open up and say all that I would like,” said President Roh at a meeting with Korean residents in the U.S.

The joint declaration will also include some statements about how supportive the U.S. has been on the peaceful stance of the Korean government towards North Korea and how much it has contributed to security on the Korean Peninsula. This year is the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Korea alliance.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com