By Here is something I saw over at the Seoul Podcast in regards to South Korea trying to get US troops stationed on Baengnyeong Island which is one of the South Korean islands along the maritime DMZ:
The South Korean military may send U.S. forces residing in South Korea to Baengnyeong Island, one of the five western border islands closest to North Korea. The islands include Yeonpyeong Island which was shelled by North Korea last November.
A South Korean military official related to the matter told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday that the decision, if made, would be to “heighten restraint against North Korea.”
According to the same source, the Blue House considered sending combat troops from the U.S. forces to Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands after last November’s shelling. However, the plan had fallen through due to opposition from the U.S. military. As a result, the South Korean military is now pushing for U.S. communication troops to be sent to Baengnyeong Island instead, although the size or time of the deployment has not yet been decided, the source said. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
In my opinion this appears to me to be an attempt by the South Koreans to use the American soldiers as a way to make North Korea think twice about shelling these islands because it is one thing to kill ROK military troops, but they would open a whole other range of possible scenarios by killing US troops stationed on the island. It is something I think would definitely make the North Koreans think a little bit longer and harder before attacking the island. However, something else that the South Korean government probably finds favorable about putting US troops on these islands is that they can then push off responsibility for a response to a North Korean provocation to the US government. If the US responds to a North Korean provocation such as bombing an artillery site that attacked the island and the North Koreans respond in kind with an attack that kills civilians in Seoul, the Korean government has domestic political cover because they can push responsibility for what happpened on to the United States. This is likely the same rationale once again in my opinion on what the ROK government keeps putting off the Operational Control issue as well for as long as possible.
Any decision to respond to a North Korean provocation needs to be a ROK government decision and not the US. That is why I am a strong supporter of the US giving Operational Control to the South Koreans as soon as possible as well as continuing with the USFK transformation plan to remove the 2nd Infantry Division from near the DMZ and US troops out of Seoul to Camp Humphreys which is further south and out of artillery range. These changes will further push responsibility on to the ROK government to be the ones to decide how to respond to a North Korean provocation
3:06 pm on June 11th, 2011 1
Am I mistaking in thinking that South Korea as been viewing the USFK occupation with less and less enthusiasm until they get scared by the North? Then all of a sudden the South would happily use us like little decoys right at ground zero?
Though I can appreciate the South’s concern about the Camp pollution issues I’m pretty off-put by their general handling of the USFK occupation.
3:38 pm on June 11th, 2011 2
Chris Hiler 1, the occupation ended in 1948.
3:44 pm on June 11th, 2011 3
PFC Snuffy is not in Korea to be the target in target practice. Any USFK commander who agrees to this proposal should be the one stationed there.
3:45 pm on June 11th, 2011 4
Glans,
I’m not sure what you mean..perhaps I’m using the wrong terminology. I’m referring to the USFK presence in South Korea.
4:03 pm on June 11th, 2011 5
Chris Hiler 4, always remember, Wikipedia is your friend.
4:15 pm on June 11th, 2011 6
this doesnt jive with the relocation plan which one rationale was to get US troops out of artillery range
i call bullshit
5:38 pm on June 11th, 2011 7
I have a few unconnected thoughts on this:
* It has always been acknowledged unofficially but this might be the closet to a public suggestion that U.S. forces be used as a tripwire. The relocation of 2ID from the DMZ was supposed to be, in part, a rejection of that concept.
* Some American forces had been assigned to crappy, remote and isolated outposts in Korea during much of the first 40 years of the Armistice — particularly communication troops. But I don’t think that is done much anymore.
* Can you image what would have happened if the coalition commander in Iraq had arbitrarily decided to send some of those Korean troops in Iraq to … let’s say Fallujah?
6:22 pm on June 11th, 2011 8
Korea is a disingenuous “friend”. But haven’t we always known that —
6:25 pm on June 11th, 2011 9
P.S.
One more thought:
Since when do they disclose where troops should be assigned and specify which country they must come from in a coalition? Why not make it a United Nations Command assignment? I’m sure the Canadians wouldn’t mind having their turn at it too
7:27 pm on June 11th, 2011 10
Hmmmm…”communications troops” huh? I know what kind of “communications troops” they want to send up there.
7:40 pm on June 11th, 2011 11
“The South Korean military may send U.S. forces…” perhaps not the best verbage by the JoongAng. I’m pretty sure neither the South Korean military nor the blue house even pretend to have the authority to deploy American troops anywhere. Sounds like a reporter who doesn’t understand the relationship between USFK and was overzealous in his wishful reporting. Of course, the blue house and US National Authority may discuss the value of placing US troops on PY-Do but that would be a different matter entirely.
7:49 pm on June 11th, 2011 12
You’re kidding right?
Here’s a little insider knowledge – GEN Sharp is pushing the Koreans to allow him to do this.
8:10 pm on June 11th, 2011 13
Guitard, unless the journalist is completely incompetent which is always a distinct possibility he clearl says the South Korean military official said they want to put US troops on the island to “heighten restraint against North Korea.”. Also according to the article USFK refused to put combat forces on the island after South Korea requested they do so. If the article is to believed it is pretty clear the ROK’s want US combat forces on the island as a trip wire to deter a North Korean provocation.
Putting the communications troops on the island may be a compromise that GEN Sharp is trying to work with the ROK’s instead of sending combat troops. A squad of signal or intel guys that compose this communications unit on the island would be a whole lot preferable than sending an entire US infantry company or whatever size of element the ROK’s wanted on the island.
9:39 pm on June 11th, 2011 14
Korean men live at home until they are 30 having their mother’s wash and clean after them with little responsibility, of course they don’t want any responsibility. They don’t know how to deal with it.
9:47 pm on June 11th, 2011 15
Perhaps the USFK should wipe their butts after every poop.
2:51 am on June 12th, 2011 16
Glans,
Understood, thanks
5:02 am on June 12th, 2011 17
So, our goal in this is to create dead US soldiers? How about making some of those UN troops man that island? #9 has it right.
5:23 am on June 12th, 2011 18
Ummm. Communication troops. Ummm. Remote island. Ummm. Communications. Think about it. Is this not intuitive?
7:23 am on June 12th, 2011 19
No responsibility / no accountability is the standard in Korea.
10:08 am on June 12th, 2011 20
All American troops (and people) are nothing more to Koreans than tripwires and a source of money. “Tripwire” to Koreans means dead Americans which implies to me that they consider US soldiers already to be nothing more than dead chunks of meat. I wonder, do they think of their own soldiers in such a way? If they do, fine, it’s their country.
Let the two Koreas take care of their own, Korea is not a place, or people, worth having a bunch of foreigners getting killed over. Really, it’s a family affair and they should solve their own problems. No neighbors came to help solve my parents problems when they screaming and yelling at each other when I was a kid. Let them kill each other, the blood of “barbarian” foreigners is too good to lose over the Koreas.
I heard the little, “The American military should leave Korea, they have bases in Japan and can easily come back to fight if anything happens” speech from some Korean students of mine when I lived in Daegu a few years ago. Yeah right. That about sums it up however.
Again, they only want you around when the North goes off, or when they’re taking/receiving money from Americans and foreigners. Korea is a place worth leaving.
This is probably a little harsh, but it’s time to end the shite. Besides, Koreans have no problems being harsh to others, do they?
10:11 am on June 12th, 2011 21
notworthdying4,
I can understand your point though..especially these days when we are going broke and sending troops to so many areas of international conflicts. We should not be giving Korea a “freebie.”
8:04 am on June 13th, 2011 22
In every metric EXCEPT will, the SK’s have the edge, a considerable edge over the Norks….
Reminds me of some thing I read many decades ago about the South Vietnamese and that OTHER war….
They have a gun in their hand, bullets in their pouches, food in their gut and just lack one thing, fire in their belly…..
10:05 am on June 13th, 2011 23
#22
You forgot one thing. SK has A LOT more, repeat A LOT more, to lose if a war breaks out.
And I disagree SK doesn’t have fire in their belly. They do. They channel it into productive things. That’s how they have 5 – 9 work hours and work Mon-Tue-Wed-Thur-Fri-Fri-Fri work week.
10:06 am on June 13th, 2011 24
#21
I think SK pays bigger portion of operating cost of USFK than any other nation that US has stationed troops in.
10:09 am on June 13th, 2011 25
#20
Reading your comments of Tripwire one would think SK doesn’t have any troops on the DMZ.
USFK has 28,500 in SK (all branches).
SK has 600,000+ in uniform.
10:18 am on June 13th, 2011 26
Hey John,
Interesting point (#23). I really didn’t know south Koreans work like this:”they have 5 – 9 work hours and work Mon-Tue-Wed-Thur-Fri-Fri-Fri work week.” I haven’t been there since 1983. I thought the quality of life there had vastly improved but I guess not.
12:12 pm on June 13th, 2011 27
#26
The quality of life in SK has improved greatly. The quality of life (not working hours but amenities in everyday life) in SK in 1983 and now cannot even be compared. Check youtube for videos of the awesome subways or KTX or the Incheon airport.
But some jobs still require long hours. Some do it by choice because they want to get ahead and others do it because they have to, just so they don’t sink into poverty. Point is you can’t say SK doesn’t have fire in the belly.
Go to Hulu.com and check some Korean dramas (they have English subtitles) like Secret Garden (ok it shows life of ultra rich but still shows everyday life of not rich in some scenes). You will get a good idea of what life is like in SK today. SK of 1983 is NOTHING like SK of today.
12:20 pm on June 13th, 2011 28
John
Thanks! I’m studying the Korean Language and am watching Korean Broadcasting often here to get more familiar with hearing the language. I developed a fascination with Korea when I was stationed there in 1983 and that fascination lasts with me to this day.
2:24 pm on June 13th, 2011 29
Crunchyroll.com has a ton of Korean dramas as well. I use it for K-dramas on my mobile phone … ok… I really use it for the anime most of the time… yeah. Anyway, if you DO like crunchy roll and want to get rid of the advertisements (which look like they come from Saturday morning cartoons) – then let me know and I’ll get in touch with you.
2:58 pm on June 13th, 2011 30
#28
Chris
in case no one told you, thanks for serving.
6:35 pm on June 13th, 2011 31
Just goes so show you how out dated many of the posters information is. USFK hasn’t been a “tripwire” in over a decade. Hell they’ve removed almost all of 2IDs’ forces, they left a gutted brigade and a downsized aviation unit. The rest of their forced have been relocated back stateside.
So seriously, what “combat” troops? Its nothing but combat support and combat service support left on peninsula. Its the ROK’s that have several full sized army’s, we’re talking 700K+ active service members, and millions of trained men they can pull into service should the need arise. The US no longer has a ground mission here.
6:59 pm on June 13th, 2011 32
Someotherguy: What about counter-battery rockets/artillery/radar – did that get drastically reduced on the US side also?
Considering the performance of Korean counter-battery artillery at YP island that’s kind of worrisome…
8:02 pm on June 13th, 2011 33
We still have a fire’s brigade, or whats left of one. That is really the sticking point, the units have been dramatically downsized personal wise. Technically we still have an “Infantry Division” stationed in Korea, its just been striped down with most of its personal / assets relocated elsewhere. You see this everywhere, they’ve been dismantling units across the board. Several signal units have been decommissioned and their functions rolled up and placed on the remaining signal units. Same with the logistical units, several have been combined and then had functions split up.
8:16 pm on June 13th, 2011 34
Time to remove all of our troops from the peninsula. Rumsfeld was right: some countries behave like our troops are theirs. Leaving the PI was the best thing to happen to U.S.-Philippine relations and it’ll be the same here.
8:27 pm on June 13th, 2011 35
“The South Korean military may send U.S. forces residing in South Korea to Baengnyeong Island, one of the five western border islands closest to North Korea. The islands include Yeonpyeong Island which was shelled by North Korea last November….”
This is hillarious,lol
9:08 pm on June 13th, 2011 36
John
Thanks and I sure didnt expect that “thank you” Most guys on this blog site have far more military experience then myself. I do consider that year I served in 2-17 Field Artillery, in 2nd Infantry Division..up at Camp Pelham by the Ville Sunju-ri, about 1.5 miles from Munsan, to be a favorite year now. It was a great experience.