The top U.S. commander of American forces in South Korea reaffirmed the U.S. forces will remain there as long as they are wanted and expressed confidence in the ally's military capability.
In a message posted on the U.S. Department of Defense web site under U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), Gen. Burwell Bell said a healthy Seoul-Washing alliance was in the U.S. interest.
"We will remain in Korea as a reliable ally as long as we are welcome and wanted," he said.
"USFK is a steadfast partner with the ROK military as guardians of the Korean democracy. We will fight alongside our ally to defend this nation," he said in his Aug. 98 message, using South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Bell leads 30,000 American troops in South Korea, stationed there since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War that divided the peninsula between South and the North.
The Seoul-Washington alliance, more than half a century old, has reached a critical stage in recent years with South Korea wanting more responsibility to defend itself. The two countries have agreed on a comprehensive readjustment to reduce the number of U.S. forces to 25,000 by end of 2008.
They are also discussing Seoul retaining operational control of its military during wartime, which under the current arrangement would be under U.S. control.
Some critics in South Korea question whether the country is ready to take such control and are concerned the U.S. may pull out more troops from the South.
A roadmap of pending changes is expected to be announced in October at the annual bilateral meeting of South Korean and U.S. defense chiefs.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, in an interview with Yonhap on Tuesday, said the nation's military capability has been continuously strengthened.
"Even if we get back the wartime operational control now, we can exercise it," he said.
Gen. Bell expressed full support for the handover.
"The U.S. is confident in the capability of the ROK military, and positively supports the ROK government's desire for independent wartime command," he said.
Bell's message follows what he called an "on-site conference" of senior leaders who discussed the qualities of the USFK. They discussed "public messages" that they felt are "most important to people and audiences outside of (the) USFK," Bell said. References to a continued USFK presence and wartime control are part of the public messages.
"Overarching messages" are that Korean peace and stability are important both to Seoul and Washington, and that the alliance is more than just military in nature. It is a "comprehensive partnership that promotes freedom, prosperity and democracy in this region and the world," he said.
Washington, Aug. 9 (Yonhap News)
USFK chief reaffirms continued presence in Korea, supports wartime control transfer |
