hankyoreh

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has sent a letter to his South Korean counterpart Yoon Kwang-ung saying that the United States would like to return the wartime operational control of South Korea's armed forces by as early as 2009, sources here said Sunday.

South Korea and the United States are negotiating a roadmap to realign their military alliance that dates back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, and one of the key issues is when South Korea will regain wartime operational control of its own forces, a power that under the current arrangement sits with the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

"Rumsfeld said in his letter to Yoon in mid-August that it is reasonable to hand over the operational control to South Korea in 2009 considering the timing of moving the USFK Seoul base to Pyeongtaek and the proposed dissolution of the command of U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces," a Korean government source said on condition of anonymity.

It is first time that the U.S. secretary has suggested 2009 as the target year for the transfer of the wartime operational control.

However, South Korea has proposed the transfer occur in 2012, citing the need for more time to become defensively self-reliant.

"Rumsfeld's letter has reaffirmed the U.S. position, but the timing of the transfer has not been decided yet," said officials from South Korea's Defense Ministry.

Analysts predict there will be much controversy in the negotiations between the two countries on the issue, with a final agreement expected to be reached at a bilateral security consultative meeting in Washington in October.

"The timing of the transfer will be discussed at the summit between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush in Washington, on Sept. 14," the source said. Rumsfeld apparently sent the letter after a meeting on Aug. 14, during which Bush told his military commanders that he agrees South Korea is now capable of exercising wartime control of its own forces.

The realignment reflects Seoul's growing stature in the international community and Washington's need to have its troops readily available for speedy redeployment to deal with contingencies around the world.

South Korea placed the operational control of its troops, during both wartime and peacetime, under the U.S.-led United Nations Command shortly after the Korean War. But peacetime control of its troops was transferred back to the country in 1994.

South Korea's main opposition Grand National Party and former defense ministers are strongly opposed to an early retaking wartime control, saying it would lead to the collapse of the U.S.-South Korea combined forces, thus significantly reducing the country's deterrent effect against the communist North.

Rumsfeld said in the letter that the S.Korea-U.S. alliance will not be undermined or diminished by the transfer, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Rumsfeld proposed that South Korea shoulder more of the cost of keeping 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country, raising its stake from 40 to 50 percent, the sources added.

"The letter did not specify the ratio of '50 percent' but used the term of 'equitable,' which means 'fair,'" said the Defense Ministry.

The expression can be interpreted as each party taking half of the responsibility, a government source said.

Rumsfeld's letter virtually represents the position of the U.S. government, with analysts predicting that the negotiations for this year's defense cost-sharing will be problematic.

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap)