hankyoreh

A few days ago, the Eighth U.S. Army Command announced plans for around 500 soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division reconnaissance battalion stationed in South Korea to take part in joint U.S.-Philippines exercises taking place in the Philippines beginning Apr. 5. Previously, United States Forces Korea (USFK) soldiers have participated in overseas exercises at the small scale of a few dozen troops or so, but this marks the first time an entire unit is being dispatched. This marks a serious development, as the United States has begun moving its forces according to its strategy of “strategic flexibility.”
Based on this strategy, the United States plans to operate its forces for rapid maneuvering rather than leaving them as a fixture in any one region. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States has pushed for these policy changes in the interest of making effective use of its forces overseas. Its intent is to broaden the scope of the USFK’s placement rather than tying them to the role of deterrent against North Korea according to the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and South Korea.
However, the U.S. military’s free coming and going overseas from a base in South Korea, without any controls from the South Korean government, is not a matter that can simply be overlooked. The possibility exists that South Korea may end up unwittingly embroiled in a conflict in another nation or subjected to unnecessary suspicions. Given the delicate interweaving of potential causes for tension on the peninsula and in East Asia, it is reasonable to have serious concerns about this aspect. As an immediate example, Beijing has been expressing keen alarm over the USFK’s role as a curb against it.
In light of these factors, South Korea and the United States agreed on a set of principles regarding the USFK’s strategic flexibility in January 2006. At this time, Seoul agreed to show understanding for Washington’s change in global military strategy and respect the need for strategic flexibility with the USFK. The United States, for its part, agreed to respect Seoul’s desire not to get involved in any regional conflicts in Northeast Asia irrespective of the South Korean people’s will. The problem is that no subsequent procedures were properly instituted to manage the enforcement of these principles.
For instance, last October’s Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the United States failed to produce a consensus, with Seoul requesting the institutionalization of prior discussions when applying the strategic flexibility concept, and Washington declaring that it would merely provide notification.
With this latest decision, the U.S. Eighth Army merely provided a brief announcement of the fact that the reconnaissance battalion would be taking part in the exercises. Neither the Combined Forces Command nor the South Korean Ministry of National Defense provided any explanation about the process. It is not normal for South Korea to merely receive unilateral notification without any preliminary discussions when a USFK unit is transferred. We hope the South Korean and U.S. military authorities will engage in sincere discussions and disclose details about the process.
　　
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