US Seeks Redeployment of Korean Troops to Afghanistan

It is apparent that the United States is putting pressure on South Korea to take over more burden for relocating American military bases and sending troops to Afghanistan again. Especially ahead of President Lee Myung-bak's visit to the U.S. next week, the Bush administration is undoubtedly trying to make Korea's burden sharing and troop dispatch a fait accompli.

South Koreans feel somewhat perplexed over the unilateral U.S. move. What's more irritating is that the Seoul government has yet to make clear its positions on the issue. On Wednesday, Kathleen Stephens, U.S. ambassador-designate to Seoul, said she hopes to discuss South Korea's redeployment of troops to Afghanistan with the Lee administration.

She made the remarks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responding to questions from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. The senator asked why Seoul was hesitant to dispatch troops to the war-torn country despite requests from Washington. Stephens even told reporters that the U.S. and South Korea have very close consultations on the troop dispatch and other issues, including the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) and North Korea's human rights abuses.

Judging from her remarks, Washington is seeking to get as many concessions from Seoul as it can during an April 18-19 Camp David summit between Lee and Bush. No doubt the Bush government would maximize its national interests by taking advantage of Lee's commitment to restoring the traditional Korea-U.S. alliance that has been frayed under the rule of his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun.

South Korea has deployed engineer and medical units to Afghanistan since 2002 at the request of the U.S. that invaded the country to fight terrorism and hunt down al-Qaida members after 9/11. However, Seoul withdrew its troops from Afghanistan last December on promises to Taliban rebels in return for the release of 23 South Korean volunteer workers the militants abducted in July.

President Lee would find it difficult to either accept such demand from the U.S. side or reject it. First, the Korean government will have to take the bilateral alliance into consideration. But it is not easy to turn a deaf ear on public sentiment against overseas troop dispatches. Besides, how can Seoul renege on its promise not to send its troops again to Afghanistan?

In mid-March, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Burwell Bell told the House budget committee that South Korean taxpayers should shoulder more burdens for the relocation of U.S. military bases in the country. Bell's remarks were seen as a U.S. bid to force the Korean side to shoulder most relocation costs that should be paid by America. Early this month, Lt. Gen. Walter Sharp, the next USFK commander, also made similar remarks at the Senate Armed Services Committee that South Korea will share more burdens for the base relocation.

In this situation, President Lee Myung-bak should not let his self-declared pragmatic diplomacy be taken hostage for the alliance with the U.S. What is important is that the Lee administration should not sacrifice South Korea's national interests under the name of alliance. We have to think over what is a true alliance between the two countries.