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Tue, February 7, 2023 | 10:40
Naver
S. Korea, US mapping up contingency plan on “sudden change” in N. Korea
美태평양사령관 “北급변 대비 세부계획 세웠다”
Posted : 2014-01-24 16:11
Updated : 2014-01-24 16:11
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Adm. Samuel Lockjlear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command has urged about a possible regime collapse in North Korea. / Courtesy of armyrecognition.com
Adm. Samuel Lockjlear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command has urged about a possible regime collapse in North Korea. / Courtesy of armyrecognition.com

The United States is updating its contingency plans for a possible regime collapse in North Korea and various other scenarios, a top military commander said Thursday.


Adm. Samuel Locklear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), said his troops have "detailed planning" for many different types of scenarios of what might unfold on the Korean Peninsula.

"And one of those would be a rapidly changing situation that would require stabilization of the peninsula. So that planning is ongoing," he said at a Pentagon news conference.

Public anxiety and unpredictability have grown over the future of the North Korean regime, run by a young and untested leader.

Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his early 30s, has sent confusing signals on his leadership style.

Most recently, his communist regime caught the world by surprise when it purged and executed his uncle Jang Song-thaek, who was seen as No. 2 leader and regent for Kim.

The admiral voiced worries about Kim's leadership.

His behavior "makes me wonder whether or not he is always in the rational decision-making mode," Locklear said.

He described the nuclear-armed North as a "potentially very dangerous place."

The commander in charge of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region made clear that the U.S. will continue annual joint military drills with South Korea as scheduled.

"We don't plan to stop the exercises," he said. "We are going to continue to do them as long as the risk on the Korean Peninsula persists."

The North has called for the South and the U.S. to cancel their large-scale military drills scheduled to begin next month on and near the peninsula.

On the Pentagon's increased deployment of "rotational" troops and advanced weapons to Korea, Locklear said it is aimed at maximizing the combat readiness of the allies.

He dismissed a view that such a move may reflect a change in the U.S. defense strategy on the peninsula.

The Pentagon announced a decision to deploy 800 additional Army troops and advanced weapons just south of the border between the two Koreas for nine months from Feb. 1.

It also plans to send a dozen F-16 fighter jets to South Korea for a temporary mission.

"It got played out like it was a big strategic move, but in reality it was just part of the pre-planned decision we had made in the alliance to make sure we had the most capable forces on the peninsula," Locklear said.

Meanwhile, he stressed the need to establish a key military communication channel with China.

"I don't have the ability to pick up a phone and talk directly to a PLA navy admiral or general at the time of a crisis. And we need to work on that," he said, using the acronym for the formal name of China's military, the People's Liberation Army.

Washington and Beijing are discussing the issue but "things take time," he said.

He added he is concerned about the growing risk of conflict between China and Japan, stuck in territorial stand-offs.

"Any time you have two large powers, two large economic powers, two large military powers that have a disagreement that they're not talking to each other about that has no clear diplomatic end-state in sight ... the risk calculation can grow," he said. (Yonhap)


美태평양사령관 “北급변 대비 세부계획 세웠다”

'김정은 이성적 판단능력 의심'…한반도 위기 고조요인 지적
'한미 군사훈련 예정대로…한반도 급변사태 대응책 계속 개선'


새뮤얼 라클리어 미국 태평양군사령관은 23일(현지시간) 김정은 북한 국방위원회 제1위원장의 예측불가능한 행동이 한반도 위기를 고조시키는 요인이 되고 있다고 지적했다. 또 최근 긴장이 고조되고 있는 중국과 일본간 충돌 가능성을 경고했다.

라클리어 사령관은 이날 펜타곤(국방부 청사)에서 내·외신 기자들을 상대로 한 브리핑에서 '젊은 지도자(김정은)는 결론 내리기 아주 힘들고, 예상이 안 되는 인물이라고 말할 수밖에 없다'고 말했다.

그는 특히 '언론에 보도되거나 우리가 관찰한 그의 행동은 과연 그가 항상 이성적인 의사결정을 할 수 있는 상태에 있는지 의심스럽게 한다'면서 '이것이야말로 문제점'이라고 강조했다.

그러면서 '북한의 지속적인 핵 무장화, 지속적인 미사일기술 개발이 한반도는 물론 지역을 위협하고 있고, 이를 억지하지 않는다면 궁극적으로는 전세계를 위협하게 될 것'이라고 말했다.

또 '우리는 북한의 완전한 비핵화를 요구해야만 한다'며 '새로운 지도자의 향배는 불투명하지만 잠재적으로 북한은 아주 위험한 지역'이라고 진단했다.

이어 라클리어 사령관은 북한의 급변사태에 대한 대응책과 관련, '(한·미 양국은) 동맹으로서 지난 수년간 한반도에서 전개될 수 있는 여러 다른 시나리오에 대비한 세부 계획을 세웠다'면서 '이 가운데 하나가 급격한 상황 변화 및 한반도 안정화 방안'이라고 소개했다.

그는 또 '이런 계획은 계속되고 있고, 한반도에 전쟁이나 도발의 가능성이 지속되는 한 계속 개선될 것'이라고 말했다.

북한이 다음 달 시작되는 키 리졸브 훈련 등 한·미 연합군사훈련 중단을 요구한 것에 대해서는 '중단할 계획이 없다'고 잘라 말한 뒤 '매년 이 훈련을 하고 있기 때문에 놀랄 일이 아니다'면서 '한반도의 위험이 계속되는 한 이를 계속해 나갈 것'이라고 강조했다.

이밖에 라클리어 사령관은 최근 미군이 한반도에 순환 전력을 증강하고 있는 것과 관련, '이는 한반도의 전술적, 전략적 환경이 특별히 변했기 때문이 아니다'면서 최상의 전력을 유지하기 위한 차원에서 이해돼야 한다고 지적했다.

그는 '커다란 전략적 조치인 것처럼 보여지고 있지만 실제로는 기존 결정의 일환'이라고 말했다.

라클리어 사령관은 중·일 영유권 분쟁과 관련, '이견을 있는데도 서로 대화하지 않고 있는 2개의 경제강국, 군사강국이 있다면 위험 수위가 높아질 수 있다'면서 양국간 충돌 가능성을 경고했다.

그는 특히 양국의 젊은 해군 장교나 민간 선원들의 오판이 있을 수 있다고 우려한 뒤 '우리는 자제를 촉구해야 하고, 프로정신을 요구해야 하고, 외교적인 대화와 이를 통한 해결책이 있기를 희망해야 한다'고 강조했다.

이밖에 그는 동중국해에서 중·일간 충돌이 있을 경우 중국측과 대화할 '핫라인'을 구축하고 있느냐는 질문에 '인민군 해군 장교나 장성과 직접 대화할 수 없는 상태'라고 덧붙였다. (연합뉴스)
 
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