U.S. Forces Stationed In South Korea Too Long

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said on June 3 that “after the cold war, U.S. forces have been stationed in South Korea for too long.”

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld explained the reasoning behind his statement, saying, “The U.S. is prepared to fundamentally change the deployment of U.S. forces in South Korea and Europe where threats have disappeared or where the U.S. no longer needs to commit large-scale forces.

At a press conference on his way to Singapore to attend the "Shangrila Dialogue,” an international security conference, he added, “It is right time to change the traditional fixture-type deployment to a new type of 21st century deployment to swiftly cope with situations.”

The Associated Press interpreted the statement, saying, “We can see the first change in the deployment of the US forces is near at hand. Moving U.S. forces on the Korean peninsula to Iraq will be the first change.”

In response to concerns that North Korea will misjudge it as a sign of weakness if the U.S. pulls out 3,600 forces to Iraq, Mr. Rumsfeld said, “The deterrence and defensive power of U.S. forces will not become weakened even though we are changing the number of forces and stationing places in accordance with technology developments and changes in the situation.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times supported a plan to rearrange U.S. forces in the Korean peninsula and Europe that will take concrete shape soon, by reporting on its web site on June 4 that the U.S. plans to withdraw two divisions of the US army in Germany as a part of the US Global Defense Posture Review (GRP)

The plan for relocation of the U.S. forces in Germany that the New York Times reported includes the redeployment of the 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division back to the U.S. A brigade of lightly armed strikers will be stationed in Germany, and a wing of F-16s flying will be shifted to Turkey.

Dong-Keun Keum gold@donga.com