Flying Yangban

You'll go where and do what? Korean government protests US 8th Army commander's statements on possible future USFK regional role

At a press conference Tuesday, 8th army commander Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell talked about potential future roles for the USFK. Here is the Chosun Ilbo's version of it:

Campbell said the future Korea-US alliance should be based on cooperation, just like Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has said. Campbell said in the 21st century, the range of operations [of Korea-U.S. allied forces] could be expanded to cover the Northeast Asia region. He said allied forces could carry out humanitarian support and peace keeping operations within the Northeast Asia region.

I wish I had a transcript of that part of the news conference, because the Korean government's reaction was swift and strong:

A core government official said Thursday, "Right after Gen. Campbell uttered those statements, a high-ranking Korean government official protested to USFK saying, 'Gen. Campbell's statement contain much basis for misunderstandings and are mistaken'... After making our protests, USFK explained, "[Campbell] just pointed to a hypothetical path of development."

The official said, "From our position, because of China, peacekeeping activities in Northeast Asia and USFK serving as a mobile Northeast Asian strike force are burdensome... We are now considering plans stipulating systemic provisions for the U.S. to deliberate with out government prior to sending USFK anywhere."

Another government official said, "USFK exists for defense on the Korean Peninsula, and while the North Korean nuclear crisis isn't being resolved, how can one talk of changes in the character of USFK?" He added, "Gen. Campbell might have to take responsibility for what he said."

Like the true red-meat right-winger I am, I always like to back my side but I think the Korean government has a point here. After all, its called USFK, not USFNEA. Yes, the alliance promotes regional stability but it promotes it by keeping the Norks in check. As long as the North Koreans are a threat, I think that there is no reason to go looking for other things for the USFK to do. If/when North Korea is no longer a threat to regional stability, then I think the days of the USFK will be numbered anyhow, so there still wouldn't be any reason to to look for a new USFK role.

I also want to go back to something that was said by one official:

"From our position, because of China, peacekeeping activities in Northeast Asia and USFK serving as a mobile Northeast Asian strike force are burdensome... We are now considering plans stipulating systemic provisions for the U.S. to deliberate with out government prior to sending USFK anywhere."

Right now, most people would agree that there are two potential flash points for a war in Northeast Asia: Korea and China-Taiwan. In those facts, there is a dilemma for Korea. They want the USFK around for a potential conflict with North Korea but they fear what would happen in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan. The Koreans fear that if the US supported Taiwan, then the USFK bases in Korea could be subject to attack by China, even more so if the Chinese thought that USFK troops might be directly redeployed in support of Taiwan.

For those reasons I think that Gen. Campbell's statements were ill-advised, even if he were speaking hypothetically. If the US wants a force that can quickly be sent to anywhere in Asia, then I would suggest that the 2ID be redeployed to Guam.

President or parliament? Korea needs to pick a democratic system and stick with it.

(Anyone who slept through poli sci 101 might find this post desperately dull. So, you might want to just check in again tomorrow.)

One of the things that can quickly confuse casual observers of Korean politics (like yours truly), is the choice of terms used to describe the political structure of the Kuk Hoe (Korea's "parliament").

I remember back before the April 15 elections that Our Open Party (OOP) was referred to by the media as the "de-facto ruling party." "Ruling" because it was the party that everyone knew President Roh Moo-hyun planned to join and "de facto" because he hadn't joined it yet. The OOP was called the ruling party despite the fact that it only had something like 20% of the Kuk Hoe's seats.

There seems to be some confusion about how Korea's government is structured. In fact, I think that the people who created Korea's current government structures were confused as to what kind of system they wanted.

Now that confusion has come back to bite Roh in the butt.

This just baffles the mind: Korea is a net kimchi Importer

I was going to do a nice, long post on Korean government structure, but I'm feeling lazy (I hope to do it tomorrow).

Then I was going to talk about Japan's greatest navel engagement since the battle of Leyte Gulf, but the The Marmot beat me to it.

So, I will just share this truly, truly shocking piece from the Chosun Ilbo:

Korea Imports More Kimchi Than It Exports

This may be a bit difficult to understand but Korea actually imports more kimchi than it exports abroad.

According to figures released by the Korea International Trade Association, the country purchased some 14,700 tons of kimchi from overseas during the year's first four months, that's a staggering 174 percent jump from the same period last year. During this period, kimchi exports declined by close to 10 percent to about 12,000 tons.

KITA officials note the increase in kimchi exports can be explained through what's called the "boomerang" effect. In recent years, local kimchi producers have moved their facilities to China to make kimchi at a cheaper cost.

I now fully expect Korean patriots to raise the same stink (no pun intended) that they raised about Japanese-made kimchi.

Korean police chicks: It's not just coffee and traffic tickets anymore

These Korean policewomen are all business. Check out the Amazon in the second row. (Korea Times pic)

There was a time not so long ago that policewomen in Korea had two jobs; issue parking tickets and serve coffee to senior police officers. I couldn't find any good links to back me up on this but you can get a good idea of what I'm talking about by watching Memories of Murder. BTW, that is a great movie.

The USA had plans to pull 2ID troops as early as last fall (as posted here back in November)

In it's latest piece on the deployment of 2ID troops to Iraq, the Joongang Ilbo reports that the USA had informed Korea last fall that it planned to reduce troop levels in Korea:

A former Blue House aide said yesterday that the South Korea government was told last fall of the U.S. intention to pull significant numbers of troops from the Korean Peninsula, but it kept the issue quiet at the request of Pentagon officials.

The former Blue House senior secretary for political affairs, Yoo Ihn-tae, said yesterday, "In September 2003, the United States first told South Korea through defense channels that a significant troop withdrawal was inevitable as part of the Global Defense Posture Review." The review refers to the Pentagon's policy under the Bush administration of realigning troops around the world by upgrading defense technology and shifting the numbers of troops stationed overseas, as formally announced by President George W. Bush in November last year.

According to Mr. Yoo, when Seoul brought up the issue of making the withdrawal plan public, the United States requested that announcements be delayed. "Our government believed it was right to make [it] public, but for some reason, the U.S. refused, and follow up discussions were postponed."

This brings up a significant point; that Roh Moo-hyun knew that the US was planning on a troop reduction in Korea when he agreed to the dispatch of additional Korean troops to Iraq. This is significant because it undercuts the arguments made by the Hanky and some leftist politicians that the withdraw of American troops from Korea is a reason to renege on Korea's own Iraq troop dispatch.

While some members of the Kuk Hoe worry about what this means for the alliance, Our Open Party's chairman Shin Ki-nam said:

Our alliance stands firm. The transfer of troops has nothing to do with our delay in Korean troops' dispatch to Iraq.

Also, I just want to note that I there were reports of a planned USFK reduction of forces back in November but they were dismissed as just rumors in a press release from the The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. It said, among other things:

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

It seems that either the folks in that office were not in the know or they were not being honest with us back in November.

The Roh & Park picture we were waiting to see

(NOTE: For folks looking for the 2ID to Iraq posts, scroll down some. You can also click here or here. For some reason, some search engines are linking people to my main page rather than to the relevant posts.)

President Roh Moo-hyun and opposition leader Park Guen-hye greet each other during a ceremony at the National 5.18 Cemetery in Gwangju yesterday (Joongang Ilbo pic).

I was fully expecting to see that picture. Going to Gwangju on May 18 is an annual pilgrimage for all major Korean politicians, for good reason.

More information on the 2ID deployment to Iraq and the Korean left's reaction to it

the AP reports that it is the Second Brigade of the Second Infantry Division that will go to Iraq.

As of now, no one knows if the move will be permanent or not:

A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Flex Plexico, said the decision to move them to Iraq was made "at the highest levels of the U.S. government."

A senior defense official who discussed the matter on condition he not be identified said no decision has been made yet on whether the 2nd Brigade will return to its post in Korea after its Iraq tour ends. He said it was possible that a similar-size Army unit from elsewhere in the world would fill the gap at some point — or that the gap would not be filled at all.

The official described the move of the 2nd Brigade as a "relocation," and he explained it in the context of a longer-term reorganization and streamlining of U.S. forces in South Korea.

My guess is that they will not be coming back to Iraq. There is some concern as to what this means for Korean defense. On the whole, I agree with the leftists that the redeployment will not put Korea at any additional risk (hat tip to Oranckay for the link):

What's important to remember here is that even if there is a partial reduction in USFK troop strength, it is a clear fact that the USFK's military strength is actually increasing. The USFK is being reorganized in accordance with the Bush Administration's guidelines on "transforming U.S. military strength." Plans include relocating U.S. forces in South Korea to rear positions and a partial withdraw, but the basis of those plans are about increasing offensive strength, defensive strength, and "Command & Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence" (C4I). The fact that the U.S. is already spending W11 billion on strengthening USFK fighting capabilities demonstrates how those plans are already being implemented.

In an interesting note, the Hanky wants to use the 2ID deployment to "renegotiate" (i.e. renege on) Korea's commitment to deploy an additional 3,000 troops to Iraq. They are in rare form with their latest piece. Usually, you'll have to read two different articles to see them contradict themselves. This time, they were able to contradict themselves in the space of a few paragraphs. That's no little feat, even for the Hanky. Check this out:

Military experts are of the view that therefore, the South's deterrence towards North Korea is not going to be left with a gaping hole in it just because a few thousand USFK personnel are moved elsewhere..... (4th paragraph)

......Given the climate, Korea needs to give serious thought to whether or not it wants to send additional troops to Iraq. Even besides concerns about the safety of Korean troops in Iraq, concerns resulting from the worsening situation there, it also doesn’t make any sense to send 3,000 of our elite troops at a time when 4,000 US troops are scheduled to leave, creating a hole in our military strength. (7th paragraph, emphasis is mine)

Keep up the good work, boys.

If pulling 4,000 American troops from one of the main invasion routes to Seoul doesn't create a gap in Korea's defense, then pulling 3,000 out of over 650,000 Korean troops will not make a dent. Also, the only thing "elite" about the Korean troops is that they are not conscripts.

BTW, here is what the article in the first link says about the Second Brigade:

The 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division is comprised of a powerful mix of maneuver and aviation forces, including two air assault infantry regiments and a mechanized infantry battalion. It is based primarily at Camp Hovey, near the city of Tongduchon, north of Seoul.

For more information on the 2nd Brigade, 2ID, go to Global Security.org

Want to know all about the US elections? Look here. What to register to vote? Look here.

I am helping two of my students who will be training in Guam starting next month prepare their immigration documents.

Click on the graphic to go to the site. It is also available in Korean.

While I was at the US Embassy web page, downloading documents, I came across a nice little set of articles explaining the US election process. It has articles on the presidential nomination process, congressional elections, campaign finance and a lot of other good stuff. So, go check it out if you want to learn more about how American democracy works.

Also, if you are a Republican, go the the Republicans Abroad-Korea blog (also run by yours truly) and leave a message if you want to join. I believe that the Infidel can hook you up with Democrats Abroad.

Finally, if you want to register to vote, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program web page and get the appropriate forms for your state. You will need Acrobat Reader but they have a link for you to download it. Republicans Abroad will also be registering voters over the next several months (I assume the Democrats will be, too).

Remembering the Gwangju Revolt and Massacre

With all the mess going on between regarding the deployment of 2ID troops to Iraq, I don't want to forget to let folks know that tomorrow is a major anniversery in Korean politics, especially among leftist and anti-American groups: the start of the revolt which eventually lead to the Gwangju Massacre.

The BBC has a nice little overview of the events that started on May 18, 1980. Student groups, backed by workers repeatedly clashed with military forces sent in to suppress dissent. By May 21, troops were firing live ammo at protesters. However, after the protesters armed themselves, troops withdrew from the city. The troops returned several days later and retook the city within hours. Between 240 and 2,000 people died in the fighting, depending on which source you trust.

People visiting graves at the National 5.18 Cemetery in Gwangju yesterday (Donga Ilbo pic)

Since then, the time between May 18 and final exams in June has been the traditional riot season. However, with Korean democracy maturing over the last 16 years, they have become less popular.

Of course, some Korean groups blame the United States for not interfering in Korea's internal affairs to suppress Chun and back the folks in Gwangju. I even came across an old Village Voice article that blames then-President Jimmy Carter by name.

USA to shift 4,000 2ID troops to Iraq

The US is about to shift 4,000 2nd Infantry Division soldiers from Korea to Iraq, according to a Joongang Ilbo report:

Long-rumored but often denied, plans to send U.S. troops here to Iraq have been confirmed by military and civilian government sources.

A government official said yesterday that a brigade, about 4,000 soldiers, from the U.S. 2d Infantry Division would be sent to the Middle East within the next few weeks. Other officials here confirmed the U.S. plans.

"The U.S. government recently notified our government through diplomatic channels that it has decided to send a brigade to Iraq," the official said. "The two sides are expected to discuss this matter in the near future."

He added that it was not clear whether the brigade would return to Korea after its duty in Iraq or leave Korea permanently. "But with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other senior officials continuously mentioning reductions of U.S. troops on the peninsula, it is quite possible that the unit might leave Korea for good," he added.

I guess that depends on whether or not a new base near Pyeongtek is ready for them when they finish their Iraq deployment. The Stryker Brigade, a 2ID unit based in Ft. Lewis, Washington is already in Northern Iraq. That would suggest to my non-military mind that the 2ID troops from Korea would also be deployed in the north for logistical reasons (I hope I'm not too off-base there, somebody correct my assumption if I'm wrong).

The article goes on:

A diplomatic source commented that President George W. Bush was expected to raise the subject when he calls Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun to congratulate him on his return to office after a two-month impeachment hiatus. That diplomat also said the U.S. decision was not meant to increase the pressure on Korea to dispatch troops to Iraq, but rather to strengthen U.S. forces in the region before the handover of sovereignty to an interim government there on June 30.

It's good to know that Bush is calling Roh. I was starting to wander if the State Department congratulations were going to be all.

UPDATE: Yonhap has some more information on the proposed deployment:

Kim Sook, chief of the Foreign Ministry's North American affairs bureau, confirmed earlier in the day that Washington recently notified Seoul of its intention to redeploy part of USFK to Iraq and said the two countries have just begun talks on the issue. The number of troops and the timing of the deployment has not yet been decided, he said.

President Roh Moo-hyun is also considering convening a meeting of national-security-related ministers in the coming days to discuss the relocation and the planned dispatch of 3,000 South Korean troops to Iraq, the official said.

The official said South Korea is to maintain its position on sending 3,000 troops to Iraq as scheduled, dismissing reports that Seoul may link the South Korean troop dispatch to the USFK relocation.

"We need to come up with measures to prevent the undermining of our defense capabilities, although we are maintaining the policy of sending our troops to Iraq," he said.

Another official, however, would not dismiss the possibility of Seoul discussing relocating part of USFK to Iraq in close connection with Seoul's troop dispatch there, saying "We are not in a position to abandon one to get the other."

One good thing to note here is that the New Roh is apparently still committed to following through on Korea's pledge to deploy more troops in Iraq.

UPDATE: KimchiGI and the Marmot are also on this. The Marmot also did the translation on this Chosun Ilbo piece.

(More later)