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Korea, U.S. come to an agreement on the timetable
February 26, 2007
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| South Korea will have control of its troops in times of both war and peace starting in April 2012, Washington and Seoul announced in a joint release over the weekend, putting an end to a controversial chapter of the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates finalized the date for the transfer of wartime control in Washington on Friday, local time. Korea already has peacetime control. The move will effectively end command arrangements that have been in place for half a century since the Korean War, and puts the U.S. forces stationed here into a supportive role. Both sides also agreed that with the transfer, the ROK [Republic of Korea]-U.S. Combined Forces Command will cease to exist. Conservatives greeted the announcement with dismay. “We are disappointed that such an agreement was reached even though the Defense Committee of the National Assembly opposed it,” the Grand National Party said in a press release. “It’s a measure that’s against the will of the people.” The Defense Ministry has said a new command will be created to coordinate the operations of South Korean and U.S. forces stationed here. Both sides had previously agreed on a flexible transition timeline between Oct. 15, 2009 and March 15, 2012. Seoul preferred the later date, while Washington sought an earlier transfer. An official with the Defense Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said South Korea wanted the time to upgrade its military, particularly its intelligence gathering. “We now have sufficient time to prepare for the transfer which, given our capability, is the right move to create a balanced alliance,” the official said. South Korea’s military took back peacetime operational control in December of 1994. In September 2005, Seoul proposed transferring wartime control. President Roh made it clear from the beginning of his administration that he wanted a more active role in the defense of the country. He described the move as a way to become more self-reliant and have more autonomy in the alliance with Washington. The two allies agreed in November of 2003 to hand over 10 key military missions conducted by U.S. forces stationed here to the South Korean military. The transfer started in 2004 and is scheduled to be completed in December of 2008. The last mission transfer includes search-and-rescue operations of military personnel. President Roh views the transfer of wartime operational control as his “legacy,” a Blue House official said yesterday, declining to identify himself. The debate over the transfer has pitted conservative political parties and retired military commanders against the administration. They argued the transfer was premature considering Korea’s defense capabilities, and would make the country less safe. The Korea Retired Generals and Admirals Association has long argued that the move will also result in enormous increases in the defense budget in the coming years. Nevertheless, the Defense Ministry has said that its plan, devised at the beginning of the Roh administration, to create a more efficient but leaner force by 2020 has already accounted for the cost increases caused by the transfer. A roadmap outlining the broad procedures in implementing the agreement is expected by July. Presidential candidates such as former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, a front-runner in public opinion polls, said the deal should be rediscussed in the next administration. An official with the Foreign Ministry said yesterday that agreements such as the current one are technically not legally binding. However, since it is a formal agreement between two nations, it would be almost impossible to overturn it, considering the damage it could cause in the trust between the two sides. U.S. Forces Korea commanders have vowed the South’s military will be provided with “bridging capabilities” to ease the transfer. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assured Seoul last year that the United States had a firm commitment to Korea’s defense, including continuation of the extended deterrence offered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella. By Brian Lee Staff Writerafricanu@joongang.co.kr |
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