Sending American Troops from Korea to Iraq: A hoax?

(UPDATE: This is a post from last November. For the lastest on the 2ID deployment from Korea to Iraq, click here or here. -The Yangban, May 18, 2004)

I received this comment on the USA to shift troops from Korea to Iraq?

Andy,
First off nice blog, I really enjoyed your unification article.

(I'm always up for compliments)

As to the article at hand, let's halt this gossip disguised as news. It's already spun out of control....Here's the USFK response to the piece everyone is getting excited about. It seems that some people and news agencies have taken Richard Halloran's opinion, and used it as fact....

http://www4.usforceskorea.org/en/bbs/view.php?id=press&no=48

WRITER'S OPINION MISTAKEN FOR FACT

Seoul, Republic of Korea (USFK) Nov. 25, 2003 – An opinion piece by Honolulu-based Richard Halloran, a former New York Times foreign correspondent, is mistakenly being quoted in other publications as authoritative fact.
(Hit the hyperlink in my info to read the full text)

Charlie,
The KimcheeGI

I checked the link (click here). It is a Press release from United States Forces-Korea (USFK). The Press release had the following main points:

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs issued the following statements to correct the record:

-There have been no discussions about US troop reductions in South Korea, nor has the U.S. made any decisions regarding troop reductions.

-In the Republic of Korea we are discussing, with that government, the realignment of our forces on the peninsula, in company with capabilities enhancement, but are not discussing any reductions in force levels at this time.

-We have agreed to move U.S. forces out of the Seoul Metropolitan Area and will continue to work with our allies to ensure that forces are positioned in a way that will provide the best-possible posture in defense of South Korea.

-Many options are being discussed as part of realignment of U.S. forces on the peninsula and these options will be discussed with the Republic of Korea as we move forward in this process.

-Any realignment of US forces in South Korea will necessarily involve close consultations with the government of the Republic of Korea.

Details beyond these statements are speculative at best.

I assume that KimcheeGI is working with/for the USFK on this and they are hitting cyberland to "set the record strait." In any case, I've seen the KimcheeGI ID around on different boards. I'm not going dismiss the rumors out-of-hand just yet, though. Rumors are often just unconfirmed facts. But the fact that the USFK is working this hard to put an end to this particular rumor does seem to make their claim more believable.

Now that I have forwarded a USFK press release, am I now an official member of the Military-Industrial Complex? Is there a secret handshake? Do I get a ring?

Comments

[usinkorea]

You get a ring, but it turns your finger green.

ha ha ha...

Anyway, in all this talk, I think these are the
important words:

"There have been no discussions about US troop reductions
in South Korea, nor has the U.S. made any decisions
regarding troop reductions."

This is political talk for "we haven't done the deal yet
but yes, we are planning to do that."

The "made no decisions" remark is a classic, but the
we didn't discuss that" should come with a "yet"
attached.

You read it a lot when anybody from the US and SK gov
get together. The point is that they make sure
ahead of time to not get into those discussions
both because they aren't meetings specifically
held for that topic and just as important, they
don't want to have the ability to dismiss the issue
in the press before they get to serious work by saying,
"No no no. We aren't talking about that."

In short, it is a non-denial denial.

In the past, a US spokesman would say, "We will not reduce
troops in Korea."

That is a denial denial.

What the US is saying this past year has been,
"We haven't gotten around to setting up meetings yet
on our desire to reduce troops in Korea, but we
can't talk much about it right now with the press,
because it scares the crap out of the S. Koreans."

[KimcheeGI]

Andy,

"Now that I have forwarded a USFK press release, am I now an official member of the Military-Industrial Complex? Is there a secret handshake? Do I get a ring?"

No, you will report to FT Benning, GA for Infantry OSUT (One Station Unit Training), which combines Army Basic Training and Infantry AIT (Advanced Individual Training), all in one 17-week course.

Or you can play the game on-line: http://www.americasarmy.com/intel/features.php

Its a recruiting tool used to attract the younger generation into the Army....

Seriously, you are correct, I do work for USFK as I'm a soldier stationed at Yongsan. (Egads yes, one of THEM!) I've spent over five years here in Korea between Taegu and Seoul, and have enjoyed it, even balanced with the difficult times during the July-Dec 2002 period.

As you have stated, rumors usually do begin with unconfirmed fact, but certian elements of the US media and the majority of the Korean Media love to deal with rumor to advance their agendas.

It's like the Yongsan relocation negotiations. When this issue was reopened at the end of July 2003, USFK presented three diffrent options to GEN Cha and the Korean JCS. What was in the papers the next day? "Military will Keep 20% of Yongsan" This was the 3rd option, and it was the most costly to Korea.

(link to Article)http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200307/28/200307280059438809900090309031.html

Now, last night, the evening news (MBC) said USFK will only keep 18 Acres, (The Dragon Hill Lodge as an R&R and in/out processing site) and move lock, stock, and barrel to Pyontek-Osan. And of course, the USFK side has expressed this change unilaterally....

Charlie,
The KimcheeGI

[Gooneyboi]

KimcheeGI... CHUCK! Is that you? If you remember a little place near Barstow CA, where you could find wonderful Strawberry Pie and a DSETS that could keep you busy every day... drop me a line at the above email. And no its not Coleman.

-Gooney

[jtb-in-texas]

I'm still upset about winning a coin on a certain website, going to Korea to collect, and everyone being out of town for the two weeks I was there...

IMHO, when and if the 2ID goes to Iraq, it'll be after KJI hands over the keys of Pyongyang to the UN Command. That's not to say there won't be a brigade or so rotated in or out; but the 2ID is there until the ROK Government tells them to mosey along...

Now, with Venezuela getting training from Castro and suddenly chummy with KJI, are we going to have a Korean Missile Crisis in the Western Hemispere?

If the Nork missile could launch from a DPRK base and hit Alaska, where could it reach from Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, or Cuba?

And since Rober Mugabe of Zimbabwe was trained by KJI's daddy, where could a Nork-built missile reach from Harare?

I don't really want to know; but this world is getting far too small to keep on ignoring the petty dictators any longer...

[Akash Kumar]

http://coomararunodaya.com.