Article

2005-04-02 China-Japan-Koreas

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Posted by Michael Sheehan 2005-04-02 04:11|| || Front Page|| [7 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Breakin' up is hard to do.

H. Greenfield

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-04-02 8:14:12 AM|| 2005-04-02 8:14:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 More significant is the reduction in prepositioned materiel. I suspect the 'moving vans' will be making more, and frequent visits, in the future.

Posted by Pappy 2005-04-02 10:02:22 AM|| 2005-04-02 10:02:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Those unilateralist American bastards! How dare they cut our jobs? Yankee Go Home! Errr, hey, no wait! Just kidding, never mind.

Posted by SteveS 2005-04-02 12:19:34 PM|| 2005-04-02 12:19:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 cause=effect

The South Koreans should think twice before marching and holding protests against U.S. troops. This is a small result of a overall picture U.S. troop pullout from South Korea.

Posted by Poison Reverse 2005-04-02 1:32:19 PM|| 2005-04-02 1:32:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Mrs D.

Nice poem, but it shouldn't relate to Koreans. Let's be honest here. Your mind was wandering. Be careful, I don't think hubby would appreaciate your nostalgia concerning old boyfriends.

Posted by Poison Reverse 2005-04-02 1:37:21 PM|| 2005-04-02 1:37:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Campbell's announcement, coming without prior consultation with Seoul before cost-sharing negotiations are officially concluded, is being read as an expression of dissatisfaction with Korea.

Take it further, and begin removing more material OUT of there. U.S. personnel reduction can follow.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-04-02 2:08:53 PM|| 2005-04-02 2:08:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Vieques, redux...

Posted by Raj 2005-04-02 2:46:25 PM|| 2005-04-02 2:46:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 President Roh recently made a speech talking about distancing himself from the US. Here are exerpts from 3/29 east-asia-intel:

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun has declared that his nation will no longer depend on the U.S.-led alliance, a decades-long security framework in Northeast Asia that has counterbalanced the communist alliance led by China.
South Korea has relied on U.S protection for its national security for more than half a century since the 1950-53 Korean War under a triangle alliance with Washington and Japan.
But in what is seen as a major policy shift, Roh said South Korea would no longer depend on the United States and instead would seek a new role in the balance of power among Pacific nations.

Roh's aides describe his remarks at the Korea Third Military Academy on March 22 as a new security doctrine aimed at playing a more active role.

"We will play a balancing role to help ensure peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and on the Korean peninsula," a presidential official said.

South Korea will emerge from a standoff centered on the Korean peninsula between a "southern alliance" of South Korea, the United States and Japan and a "northern alliance" of North Korea, China and Russia, he said.

"We would not remain in the Cold War-era structure in the region," the official said.

Instead, officials said Seoul would pursue closer ties with North Korea, China and Russia to "maximize national interest."

But critics in Seoul raise concerns that the overture may result in the government's diplomatic isolation as North Korea, China and Russia are moving to boost their alliances to cope with stronger ties between Japan and the United States.

"We are concerned about President Roh's move to break away from our alliances with the United States," said Park Geun-Hye, leader of the main opposition Grand National Party. "The Seoul-Washington security alliance is vital to the security of South Korea."

South Korea "will both shoulder its responsibilities and assume its authorized power as a sovereign state in discussing security issues with its neighbors and the ally," Roh said in his speech.

"The power structure in Northeast Asia will change depending on the stance we will take," Roh said.

Roh has already pledged to help develop his country's defenses become independent of the United States within 10 years.

Roh has also acted to distance South Korea from Japan in terms of security cooperation following Tokyo's renewed claims to a South Korean-held island.

In a three-page letter addressed to the South Korean public on March 23, Roh said the country was ready for a "diplomatic war" with Japan to protect its territorial sovereignty and prevent Tokyo from "distorting" history to whitewash its militarism.

Seoul also reaffirmed its opposition to the Japanese effort to win a permanent seat on the United Nation's Security Council.

Rep. Maeng Hyung-Kyu, GNP's chief policymaker, said Roh's remarks would fuel U.S. doubts about Seoul's security identity, and blasted Roh for employing a "populist political tactic."

In response to Roh's statements, Japan reiterated its call for South Korea to remain calm. But Tokyo officials refused to comment on Roh's remarks on the regional security realignments.

U.S. military officials also declined to comment on Roh's remarks.

So Roh wants to work in a cozy relationship with the Chicoms, Kimmie, and PootyPoot? There is a gruesome threesome that will inspire trust. Roh is insane. The Chicoms and Kimmie are playing Roh like a fish. Or a dumb dog. If Roh wants to sell out to a murderous dictator neighbor, and the citizens of SKor say nothing, then we pull out and cut our losses. Roh's betrayl is a slap in the face to many thousands of SKor dead and to 50,000 American dead from the Korean war. Hell, Kimmie would have fallen by now without a shot if the US and SKor did not enable his behaviour with around a billion in aid. This really stinks.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2005-04-02 4:42:27 PM|| 2005-04-02 4:42:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 AP, we have to let go of old losses in old wars. I don't mean forget the sacrifices - not at all. But I mean that we must face the fact that in Korea, as in Germany, the generation in power hated us in the 70s and still does today.

So, forget gratitude and ties of common struggle. Just get very very pragmatic about today's threats and today's needs. The only reason to stay in Korea I can see is that a) there are bases and depots there that will take time to replace and b) we want to leave in a way that makes our current allies trust us to keep our word.

Not a fucking thing more.

Posted by too true 2005-04-02 8:58:19 PM|| 2005-04-02 8:58:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Good comment, too true. I will tend to agree on your points.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2005-04-02 9:01:03 PM|| 2005-04-02 9:01:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 US to Cut 1,000 Korean Workers

Wow, for a moment there I thought "cut" as in certain surgical opperation.

Posted by gromgoru 2005-04-02 9:08:48 PM|| 2005-04-02 9:08:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 SK seeking alignment with China and Russia is probably their foolish version of realpolitik. China's sabre rattling is beginning to worry their neighbors.

My money is still on the Japanese. They are debating ammending their constitution to allow them to rearm. They could be nuclear in 3-6 months. They will never submit to China or Russia. They would love an excuse to destroy Korea.

The bases and depots can easily be relocated to Japan.

Posted by SR-71 2005-04-02 10:33:32 PM|| 2005-04-02 10:33:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Maybe Roh needs to tour that town (or whats left of it) outside of Roosevelt Road in Purto Rico.....

I do wonder if the SKor feelings are more of a result of 50 years of Chicom/Nkor propaganda then anything else. Somehow I dont think they have any idea how the North Korean *people* really live under Kimmie-boy.

Posted by CrazyFool 2005-04-02 11:49:05 PM|| 2005-04-02 11:49:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 US to Cut 1,000 Korean Workers

Wonderful.
Faster, please.

Posted by docob 2005-04-02 11:53:11 PM|| 2005-04-02 11:53:11 PM|| Front Page Top

23:53 docob
23:49 CrazyFool
23:16 Sobiesky
23:10 Alaska Paul
22:55 Frank G
22:51 trailing wife
22:47 Mike
22:35 mhw
22:33 SR-71
22:30 Classical_Liberal
22:20 SR-71
22:12 SR-71
21:38 xbalanke
21:35 xbalanke
21:17 too true
21:16 Pappy
21:15 too true
21:13 MacNails
21:12 Pappy
21:08 gromgoru
21:04 gromgoru
21:04 Korora
21:03 penguin
21:02 too true