| Moved to Saturday since it was posted late and of interest. AoS. |
Police said about 5,000 people, many of them elderly veterans, turned out for the demonstration that underlined the worsening divide in South Korean society over the government's push for the return of wartime command.
South Korea transferred control of its forces to a U.S.-led U.N. command in 1950 that helped the country repel invading communists from North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. While peacetime control of the military was given to the South in 1994, the U.S. takes control of the South's military if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula.
In case of war, South Korea is to transfer command of Korean forces to the US. US Forces Korea has the command, control and intelligence assets to command a major war. The Koreans will have to spend major Won to acquire those assets. While they are at it, they might want to spend a few more Won to stock enough ammunition for 30 days. Massive US stocks, that SKor relies on, will be withdrawn.
South Korea and the U.S. have been in talks on the issue since Seoul formally proposed taking over the command last year. The two sides are expected to draw a roadmap for the proposed transfer when their defense chiefs hold annual talks in October in Washington.
President Roh wants wartime command by 2012. The US offered to do it in 2008.
The issue has recently become a hot topic in security-sensitive South Korea — which faces the communist North across the world's most heavily fortified border — as critics stepped up their campaign against the government's move.
Among those speaking publicly against the plan have been many of the country's former defense ministers, who claim the command transfer is premature and would unravel the country's alliance with Washington and undercut deterrence against North Korea. "I oppose taking over the operational command. It's premature," Lee Sang-hoon, who served as the country's defense minister in 1988-1990, said at Friday's rally.
Yesterday 16 former defense ministers very publicly came out against Roh's plans.
President Roh rejected the criticism this week, saying the South's military is strong enough to take over the command anytime, and leaving it with the U.S. is a slight to national sovereignty. His blunt rebuff further fueled the debate. Officials say Washington also supports handing over the command to the South.
| Since we might not be there in 2012. |
Expect even more reductions after transfer of wartime control. A lot of personnel and assets will be redundant. And don't expect the 700,000 US reinforcements currently allocated for Korea in case of war.