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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| No 'significant' change to U.S. troops in Korea |
| 2012-01-29 |
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The head of the U.S. Pacific Command said Friday that there will be no "significant" change in the scale and role of American troops in South Korea despite the Pentagon's plan to cut budgets and slash the number of ground troops. Adm. Robert Willard, however, left open the possibility for some adjustment, based on annual consultations between the allies, given regional security conditions. The agreement to station roughly 30,000 soldiers in Korea is generally to face North Korea but also "with an understanding that those troops are there with the region in mind," he told reporters at a press conference organized by the Washington Foreign Press Center. "I don't anticipate that there will be changes that are significant associated with this strategic rollout," he said. "But the dialogue between the United States and Seoul -- that has always been ongoing." The yearly discussions are to ensure that the U.S. has "the number of troops there and the conditions under which they're being employed correct," he added. Regarding North Korea, the commander in charge of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region said his military is closely monitoring whether its power transition is going smoothly after the abrupt death of Kim Jong-il in December. "This young man that has assumed power, Kim Jong-un, is relatively untested and has a lot to face in terms of governance of North Korea, with all of the challenges attendant to it, and what has been a rather coercive approach to the region and the world by his father," the admiral said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 I thought we already drew that down to about 10K. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2012-01-29 01:49 |