US troop withdrawal could be put on table

By Kim Bo-eun

Cheong Wa Dae's confirmation that the inter-Korea summit will address the prospects of signing a peace treaty with North Korea is raising speculation that withdrawing or downsizing U.S. troops stationed in the South could also be on the table.

Some analysts here say the presence of U.S. troops could be an obstacle to signing a peace treaty with North Korea.

If President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un discuss signing a peace treaty at their summit on April 27, it is highly possible they may also exchange views on U.S. troops stationed here.

Signing a peace treaty and removing U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula are not separate issues, as the North may raise this demand in return for giving up its nuclear program in the following summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Cheong Wa Dae's confirmation of the agenda came after Trump stated North and South Korea are set to discuss putting an end to the war at their summit next week. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice, technically leaving the Koreas still at war.

“We are reviewing the possibility of switching the system of an armistice on the Korean Peninsula to a system of peace,” a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday.

The official affirmed this will likely begin with an agreement between the Koreas in their summit, and the Pyongyang-Washington summit to follow in May or June will conclude the matter.

The idea of a peace treaty is linked directly to the issue of North Korea's denuclearization, as the regime has stated it has no reason to retain its nuclear program if its security is ensured.

Cheong Wa Dae noted the process requires negotiations with involved states. The U.S. is the main third party involved, as its troops are stationed here to protect South Korea from the North's military threats.

Speculations are the U.S. may downsize its military presence or pull out entirely if conditions are appropriate.

Currently, negotiations are taking place between Seoul and Washington to revise a bilateral pact on cost-sharing for the U.S. troops here. Prospects of downscaling may affect the talks.

The bilateral deal on the cost of stationing 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea is renewed every three to five years. The last renewal covering 2014 to 2018 expires at the end of this year.

A foreign ministry official on the negotiation taskforce said the prospects of downsizing U.S. troops will not affect the talks as of now.

“The negotiations are taking place to ensure stable circumstances for the U.S. troops,” he said. “We would need to receive a mandate from the government (in order to reflect possible scenarios in the negotiations).”

As of now, it appears too early for the issue to be addressed in the negotiations.

“We will have to see how circumstances turn out,” the official said.

The next round of cost negotiations will take place in Washington next month.