(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Nov. 9) - New US command Korea needs to maximize benefits, minimize burdens

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Friday disclosed a plan to keep the Eighth U.S.
Army (EUSA) in South Korea even after it hands over wartime operational control
to Seoul in 2012. There is no question that the American military highly
recognizes the strategic importance of the Korean Peninsula. In this sense, the
continued presence of EUSA in the country will help ease some worries among South
Koreans about a potential security vacuum that may be created by a possible
relocation to Hawaii.
Instead of the relocation plan, the USFK is to create a new theater command ???
Korea Command (KORCOM) ??? around June next year. The envisioned command is seen
as part of U.S. efforts to restructure its forces stationed in South Korea in
line with its global military strategy. KORCOM is expected to serve as a
frontline military foothold for the U.S. in Northeast Asia under its global
policy of ``strategic flexibility.'' Thus, the role of the USFK is likely to
shift from its exclusive defense of South Korea to redeployment of forces to
other disputed regions around the world.
Considering South Korea's geopolitical situation, the continued stationing of
EUSA and the establishment of KORCOM is a boon to the nation's security and
defense. Especially since the North Korean nuclear crisis has yet to be resolved,
some military experts as well as ordinary citizens cannot shake off concerns
about escalating threats from the Kim Jong-il regime.
Under a 2007 agreement between Seoul and Washington, the South Korean military is
scheduled to take over wartime operational control of its armed forces from the
U.S. on April 17, 2012. Both sides also agreed to disband the Korea-U.S. Combined
Forces Command (CFC) and run separate theater commands. The USFK said the EUSA'
transformation, including its planned move to Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul,
confirms the U.S. commitment to a strong bilateral alliance and the defense of
the Korean people.
In fact, EUSA has played a pivotal role to help defend South Korea, along with
the United Nations Command (UNC) during the 1950-53 Korean War. But it is also
true that the army's function has been waning since the 1978 establishment of the
CFC, which takes charge of wartime operations on the peninsula. We must keep in
mind that the U.S. has been actively seeking to maximize the effective operations
of its overseas troops.
Some critics point out that Washington's strategic focus is placed more on its
national interests than on those of its allies. They also note that the
transformation of the U.S. military in Korea should be understood in a boarder
context as Japan under the new leadership of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama may
review its military alliance with America. The creation of KORCOM may negatively
affect South Korea's ties with China and Russia, whose strategic interests could
clash with those of the U.S. in Northeast Asia.
A U.S. military presence is seen as inevitable here. But this does not
necessarily mean that the nation has to sacrifice its interests in return for
security. Therefore, it is urgent for policymakers to make efforts to minimize
the adverse effects and burdens of the changing USFK structure on the Korean
side. What is also important is that as the host country, South Korea needs to
play more on an equal footing with the U.S. in order to cement the partnership
between the two countries.
(END)