USFK Commander Gen. B. B. Bell

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) Thursday dismissed remarks by the top U.S. commander here that South Korea will ask for a pause in the reduction of American forces in South Korea.

The remarks by Gen. B. B. Bell, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), were construed as a bargaining tactic to help get more host nation funds to maintain its troops, according to security experts and government sources.

Bell was quoted by Stars & Stripes as saying that President Lee Myung-bak could make the request during the planned summit with President George W. Bush at Camp David next month.

``If he does ask for that pause, I think it would be prudent for the United States to agree to sit down and discuss the issue and then potentially execute a pause based on those discussions,'' the general said during congressional testimony March 12.

Kim Hyung-ki, the ministry's spokesman, quickly dismissed it.

``We understand that the USFK, for its part, wants to freeze troop reductions at the current 28,000 to meet their needs,'' Kim told The Korea Times. ``The ministry and other government agencies haven't discussed the issue of asking for a pause in the reduction of U.S. troops.''

``If the United States freezes the planned troop cuts, it will surely help defend our nation. But there is no reason for us to ask for the pause, since it would provoke a controversy over defense cost-sharing,'' Kim added.

Seoul and Washington had agreed in 2004 to reduce the number of U.S. troops in South Korea by 12,000 to 25,000 in a phased manner by the end of 2008.

Under the pact, the Untied States withdrew about 5,000 forces from South Korea in 2004, 3,000 in 2005 and 1,000 in 2006. Currently, 28,500 U.S. soldiers are stationed here as a deterrent against North Korea, which conducted its first-ever nuclear test in October 2006.

During last week's congressional testimony, Bell, who concurrently heads the Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command, renewed his call on Seoul's increasing financial contribution to the presence of its troops to a 50-50 level.

South Korea currently incurs 41 percent of costs related to the presence of the USFK.

Bell reaffirmed in a press release that the USFK would use host nation burden sharing funds for the relocation of its bases north of Seoul to the south of the Han River.

Liberal lawmakers and progressive civic groups denounced the move, arguing it runs counter to bilateral agreements on the base relocation.

Opponents claim that if the United States uses the host nation's burden sharing funds, it means South Korean taxpayers virtually foot most of the $10 billion bill for the relocation project, which is beneficial to both sides.

Under the Land Partnership Plan (LPP) reached in 2002, the United States promised to foot the bill for moving bases of the 2nd Infantry Division, north of Seoul, to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

On the other hand, Seoul is required to bear the cost for relocating the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul under the Yongsan Relocation Plan (YRP) finalized in 2004.

The base relocation had originally been planned to be completed by 2008 under the pacts, but the timeline was delayed to 2012 due to protests by farmers in the Pyeongtaek area and other technical problems constructing and modernizing facilities at Camp Humphreys, which is to triple in size.

Under a master plan drawn up by the two governments last year, South Korea agreed to spend about $5.2 billion on the $10 billion program to move U.S. bases to Camp Humphreys, which will accommodate more than 44,000 U.S. servicemen, their families, base workers and South Korean reinforcements.

``Since 2004, the position of the United States government has been that the United States will use both U.S. congressionally appropriated funds and host nation burden sharing funds under the ROK-U.S. Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to fund the LPP, which includes relocating the 2nd Infantry Division,'' Bell said. ``If the Republic of Korea disagrees with this, it will be necessary for the Korean government to raise the issue with the United States at the next U.S. Department of State and Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade SMA negotiations.''

Under the 2006 SMA agreement, South Korea was required to increase its share of the burden by 6.6 percent for 2007 and 2008. The cost sharing covers non-personnel stationing costs, such as the salaries of Korean employees at U.S. bases, Korean contractors and construction firms.

South Korea agreed to pay 725.5 billion won ($770 million) to the United States in 2007, up 45.1 billion won from 2006, and increase its level in 2007 with a rise in the consumer price index, according to the deal.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr