U.S. President George W. Bush told his military commanders that he agrees South Korea is capable of exercising wartime control of its own forces, diplomatic sources here said Thursday.
In a meeting Aug. 14 of senior military leaders at the Pentagon that the president sat in on, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Burwell Bell reported that South Korea has the needed capability, according to the sources.
"I agree," Bush was quoted as saying.
South Korea and the United States are negotiating a roadmap to realign their military alliance that dates back to the 1950-1953 Korean War in which American servicemen fought with the South against invasion by North Korea. Some 30,000 U.S. troops are still stationed in South Korea based on a mutual defense treaty signed after the war.
The realignment reflects Seoul's growing stature in the international community and Washington's need to have its troops readily available for speedy redeployment for contingencies around the world.
One of the key issues is the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea of its own forces, which under current arrangement sits with the USFK commander.
A final agreement is expected at a bilateral security consultative meeting here in October.
Washington, Aug. 24 (Yonhap News)
Bush agrees South Korea is capable enough for wartime control of its forces |
