Here is an opportunity for new Korean President Lee Myung-bak to back up his rhetoric about a stronger US-ROK Alliance by properly funding the alliance:
The U.S. wants South Korea to pay a larger share of U.S. Forces Korea’s costs, U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said Wednesday.
Vershbow’s comments reiterate USFK commander Gen. B.B. Bell’s call last year for equal support of military costs not associated with stationing U.S. personnel in South Korea.
Vershbow’s comments in the South Korean Ministry of Defense-sponsored Korea Defense Daily also called for a more enduring agreement on cost sharing.
“The U.S. would like Korea to share the level of support up to 50 percent in terms of Non-Personnel Stationing Costs,” Vershbow was quoted as saying. “My personal wish is that the new administration could reach a [Special Measures Agreement] for a longer term, instead of having to negotiate every year or a year and a half.”
A U.S. Embassy spokesman confirmed Vershbow’s comments with Stars and Stripes on Thursday.
South Korea currently pays about 41 percent of USFK’s upkeep, officials said. [Stars & Stripes]
ROK Drop readers may remember that under the Roh Moo-hyun administration the South Korean government actually sent more money to fund North Korea then they did to properly fund the US-ROK Alliance. Lee Myung-bak has been saying a lot of good things lately, but I have seen little in regards to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance. You could argue that he has actually set back the alliance with the announcement of the delay of the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division until 2015 and his attempts to stop the hand over of operational control.
Something else of interest Ambassador Vershbrow mentioned is that he believes the 2ID relocation will not be delayed. This is great news if true. Properly funding the US-ROK Alliance and relocating the 2nd Infantry Division on schedule is a perfect opportunity for President Lee to back his rhetoric with his King Sejongs because if not then he is no different then Roh; he only sounds better when screwing over the American taxpayer and all the USFK servicemembers living in substandard conditions in Korea.
Popularity: 3%
6:33 pm on March 7th, 2008 1
[...] Mark Lawrence wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptBB Bell’s call last year for equal support of military costs not associated with stationing US personnel in South Korea. Vershbow’s comments in the South Korean Ministry of Defense-sponsored Korea Defense Daily also called for a more … [...]
12:18 pm on March 8th, 2008 2
The South Koreans have been screwing over the U.S. on costs for their defense for a very long time, so why should their motivations change now? Roh was just so fervently anti-U.S. that he couldn’t be subtle about it. If the Republicans get the White House again (very doubtful the way the U.S. economy is tanking), they will be stupid enough to buy all the “we’re pals again” b.s. from LMB & Co, and will continue to fund SK defense for them. Fortunately, the Democrats, for whom all the “shared sacrifice” crap has little impact, will take the WH and will instead proceed to get us the hell out of SK, as we should. The one good thing ol’ Jimmy the peanut farmer did was to try to get us out of SK. I say it’s never too late to do it. Let ‘em stand on their own.
10:27 pm on March 8th, 2008 3
Yeah, that’s one way of looking at it, Cal. I’m guessing the change in Seoul is more than superficial though. I think you’re going to see LMB kick in the extra money to fund USFK more equitably…. and more. Roh was a buffoon and a KJI lapdog, but he’s gone now. The new guy was elected by a landslide margin on a pro-US platform.
12:59 pm on March 9th, 2008 4
Do you really think the Democrats are going to change anything? If Obama gets elected and the surrender to Al Qaida begins the US will be withdrawing out of Iraq in a humiliating defeat. The ROKs will use that against Obama by questioning his commitment to supporting allies.
Obama will either keep the status quo or even send more troops to Korea in my opinion in order to build military cred after the disaster the defeat in Iraq will be.
Hilary I’m not sure about because I know she won’t withdraw troops prematurely from Iraq which I give her credit for and she is also smart enough to know what the deal with the ROKs is. I think Hilary would continue to push the USFK transformation plan just like I believe John McCain would as well.
5:01 pm on March 11th, 2008 5
Maybe the Ambassador means that the 2ID relocation won’t be delayed because we can put them in Alaska any damn time we choose…
6:51 am on March 17th, 2008 6
[...] Drop readers may remember that equal cost sharing is something that has been stressed prominently by the US government and General Bell in recent weeks. It is good to see that President Lee is [...]