By In yet another sign of the desperation of the Korean government to stop the USFK relocation to Camp Humphreys:
South Korea will likely start paying its share of the cost of maintaining U.S. troops here in goods rather than cash, officials said Friday, in an apparent move to limit Washington’s use of the money to pay for the ongoing relocation of frontline U.S. bases here.
The United States has long used part of the fund provided by Seoul to pay for the southward relocation of its frontline bases in what many South Koreans view as a diversion of the funds intended to pay for the cost of maintaining the U.S. forces in Korea. [Yonhap]
This is significant because the prior USFK Commander General B.B. Bell had said that if Korea did not help pay for the relocation of US troops using the massive amount of money the government would receive from the sale of vacated USFK camps, then he would use the yearly US-ROK Alliance upkeep money given by the Korean government to fund the move instead. If the Korean governments cuts cash funding and instead gives "goods" it will hamper USFK’s ability to pay for the move.
For example a way the Korean government currently saves money on US-ROK alliance upkeep is by giving USFK Korean made vehicles for use for example by commanders and sergeant majors and then charges USFK the max amount for the price of the vehicle, even if the vehicle isn’t worth it. The Korean government can say the vehicle is worth $30,000 when in fact it only cost $25,000 to buy it from Hyundai. This is done for other "goods" as well. The price savings eventually adds up to a significant amount.
If the Korean government implements their current plan then maybe they will just give USFK more vehicles for example instead of cash. It would be hilarious if USFK turned around and started holding an auction to sell off whatever "goods" the Korean government gives USFK in order to fund the move. It is pretty sad that this is what the US-ROK alliance has come to.
As I have shown over and over again the new Korean President Lee Myung-bak is no different then his predecessor Roh Moo-hyun in the Korean governmental attempts to stop the USFK transformation plan because they both share the same reasons for doing so. Lee talks a good game, but his USFK policies are no different then his predecessors and people shouldn’t be fooled.
9:53 pm on June 23rd, 2008 1
The Koreans have been fleecing the USFK for years at this. One big source is the KATUSA, who are paid 10$ a month, but the USFK are charged the rate of a Sgt.
Next the Koreans will be giving the USFK kimchi.
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10:27 pm on June 23rd, 2008 2
Did you censor my comment on your June 17 post? Protector of the 1st amendment or do you pick and choose what you like?
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10:33 pm on June 23rd, 2008 3
What comment? You have to be more specific because it could have been put in the spam que that automatically filters messages.
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12:53 am on June 24th, 2008 4
Regardless of who pays, base relocation is a collossal waste of money that could be better spent transitioning our troops out of Korea.
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6:25 am on June 24th, 2008 5
The further we get to Jeju Island or out of Korea the better. If Korea cannot defend itself after its enemy/self up north is starved then it never can. Time to withdraw from there. Our interests no longer coincide with the Korean peninsula’s.
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6:51 am on June 24th, 2008 6
Sonagi getting US soldiers out of Korea is not something that is going happen anytime soon. The relocation to Camp Humphreys is the second best thing for now and a step closer to eventually getting further troop cuts.
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9:08 am on June 24th, 2008 7
The ROK’s are luckly that the CHICOM’s didn’t occupy the South.
They would auction the LAND and bank the huge profits that USAG-Y will no doubt bring in.
USFK needs to at least get out of Seoul. This place is tooooooooooo high-vis and there are too many fat-ass expats and LN’s milking it.
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12:17 pm on June 24th, 2008 8
GI Korea,
Though your posting goes into great and accurate detail on why the ROKs want to stop USFK transformation, I would suggest that you also acknowledge the fact that various elements of the US “institution” in Korea do not want transformation either; and over the years, they have both actively and passively worked to undermine GEN Bell’s agenda.
These elements represent all walks of US Government service (to include US contractors, ex-pats, and Korean-Americans who live off the US largess), and they have many reasons for wanting to ensure that Yongsan and Area I remain open for business … but mostly to satisfy the legal and illegal business/social network interests of their Korean wives and in-laws. Oh yeh, they also make sure to get a cut for themselves.
Michael Breen’s “Mad Cow Hysteria” article from 5 June 2008 briefly mentions but oversimplifies this phenomenon in its description of Americans who [don't do] their jobs properly “out of love for Koreans.”
What should be acknowledged is that a significant portion of the US “institution” in Korea has gone native and wants to keep the status quo for their own personal interests.
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1:55 pm on June 24th, 2008 9
Jax very true but the expat part of this is small compared to what the Korean government has been doing. The American government is also very much to blame for showing no political will to tackle the issue except when Rumsfeld was in charge who was responsible for bringing in Bell and pushing the USFK transformation agenda.
When Rumsfeld resigend from office all political will in Washington went with him and gave the Korean government the green light they needed to continue the delay games.
There is a lot gravy training going on in regards to the USFK presence in Korea and it appears there is little indication it is going to change anytime soon.
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2:46 pm on June 24th, 2008 10
I understand your view that at the strategic level, Americans “gone native” is a small problem in comparison to the ROK government.
But at the pointy tip of the spear, its impact is far greater on soldiers’ personal lives. Staff planning, budgeting, quality of life, curfew, black marketing, etc. are all negatively influenced by these jokers. You could almost describe it as an American “Fifth Column” against America in Korea (though the motivation is more money than politics).
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1:44 am on July 23rd, 2008 11
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4:34 am on November 17th, 2008 12
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