Text Fwd: 'USFK ready to fight when called'

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/113_85599.html
'USFK ready to fight when called'Lt. Gen. John D. Johnson
By Lee Tae-hoon
04-20-2011 19:29


The commander of the U.S. 8th Army said Wednesday that the transfer of wartime operational control and troop relocation plans won’t affect his troops’ commitment to defend its ally.

In a media briefing, Lt. Gen. John D. Johnson, who oversees some 20,000 of the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, reaffirmed that his troops will always be fully prepared to counter possible attacks by North Korea.

He claimed that the relocation of U.S. bases and facilities to Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province will not create a security vacuum or make South more vulnerable to armed provocation.

“The plan for the move to Pyeongtaek is based on ensuring we have no gaps in our ability to execute the mission,” Johnson said.

The three-star general said the relocation will rather help his troops be better prepared to “fight when called on, and helps strength the alliance” between South Korea and the United States.

“We’ll take every opportunity to rehearse those movements to ensure our plans account for those movements and make sure the first consideration of every move is whether we are able to execute the mission,” he said.

He argued that his troops’ military drills outside the Korean Peninsula are coordinated closely with the South Korean military to ensure there are plans to bring that force back in the event they are needed here.

“So plans are made and transportation is available to make sure if it is necessary to bring them here quickly,” Johnson said.

The U.S. general denied media reports that the number of U.S. troops in the South has dropped more than 2,000 from 28,500.

“At any point in time, due to individual rotations, that number fluctuates in small measures,” he said, underlining that there has been no major reduction in the troop number.

He said individuals with specific skills have been dispatched to Iraq and Afghanistan, but those with “equal skills have been designated to backfill us to ensure we have capability we need here.”

Johnson added that his Army has just completed taking possession of the U.S. Army's newest M1 battle tanks and will deploy improved infantry fighting vehicles later this year.

Asked if there are any immediate signs of provocations from North Korea, including a nuclear or missile test, he said, “I’m not tracking anything out of the ordinary right now, but we stay very vigilant and are watching very closely.”

He noted that U.S. forces are observing forces in North Korea very closely in conjunction with the intelligence capabilities of the South Korean military.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
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See also


http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2011/04/20/49/0301000000AEN20110420007300315F.HTML
USFK monitoring military movements in N. Korea 'very closely': commander2011/04/20 15:27 KST


http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=94418
미 8군 사령관 "전작권 전환 후에도 미군 임무 변화 없다"
"미8군, 야전군으로 임무 변경.. 해외 군사연습 참가 횟수 늘 것"

Texts Fwd: USFK’s new ‘strategic flexibility,' shown in The US 2nd Infantry's Participation in Philippines Training Exercises

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* Image & caption source: Kyunghyang Shinmun
General Walter Sharpe, Commander of US Forces Korea, is answering questions from journalists at the Combined US-Korea Forces Command. Although Korea and the US have an understanding about the operational flexibility of the US forces stationed in Korea theoretically, the US 2nd Infantry's actual participation in the Philippines training exercises causes concerns that Korean soldiers could also be drawn into unwanted battles in the future. File photo Caption by Seol Wontai ___________________________________________________________
The Kyunghyang Shinmun
The US 2nd Infantry's Participation in Philippines Training Exercises is Cause for Concern
2011-03-21

ROK-US Combined Forces Command has announced that troops from the US Army 2nd Infantry Division, stationed in Korea, will take part in joint training exercises between the United States and the Philippines, to be held from April 5 in the Philippines.

This is the first time a part of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) has taken part in an overseas training exercise. As such, it is an important event that tells us that the character and role of the USFK is changing.

According to the mutual defense treaty between the Republic of Korea and the United States, the role of the USFK is to defend the Korean Peninsula. Consequently, deploying the USFK to neighboring regions, or throughout the world strategic flexibility, in other words goes beyond the bounds of this role.

If the character of the USFK changes this way, Korea may be forced to take part in regional and global conflicts in which the US participates. The worst case scenario is that where the USFK intervene in a conflict between mainland China and Taiwan, reducing the status of the Korean Peninsula to that of a US military supply base and eventually bringing conflict to Korea itself.

This may just be a training exercise, but strategic flexibility, when it ceases to be a mere plan and enters the realm of specific implementation, cannot but be a source of serious concern regarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

How can it be that this exercise is going ahead as if nothing is happening? The Korean government and even the Korean people appear uninterested. In 2006, Korea and the US reached a compromise that stated explicitly that, rather than Korea recognizing the strategic flexibility that the US wants, the United States "respects Korea's stance that Korea will not enter into any conflict in the Northeast Asian region irrespective of the will of the Korean people."

Criticisms have been made, however, that a single such sentence, which merely amounts to a principled expression of opinion, may not be able to remove the risk of strategic flexibility.

Since the Lee Myung-bak administration took office, even this principle has disappeared. On the contrary, this government has consistently made policies that support strategic flexibility, as can be seen in the 2009 "future vision" of the Korea-US alliance.

The US is taking advantage of this atmosphere by effectively running its 2nd Infantry Division on a rotational basis. USFK commander General Walter Sharp emphasized last December "the need for USFK to intervene on a slightly more regional basis and be stationed around the world."

Flexibility takes as a precondition a reduction in the threat from North Korea. But since the Lee Myung-bak administration took office, tension has actually increased, including the breakout of military clashes between North and South, due to hard-line South Korean policies toward the North.

The government, moreover, has even delayed the transfer of wartime operational control from the US to Korea until 2015, on grounds of the increased threat from North Korea. It is a mystery, however, why the government considers flexibility to be acceptable.

The government must not commit the folly of laying the ground for getting caught up in regional conflicts. Let us hope that it wastes no time in providing mechanisms to safeguard against this. (Editorial. The Kyunghyang Daily News, March 21, 2011. p. 31)
______________________________
Hankyoreh
[Editorial] USFK’s new ‘strategic flexibility’
Posted on : Mar.21,2011 13:32 KS

A few days ago, the Eighth U.S. Army Command announced plans for around 500 soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division reconnaissance battalion stationed in South Korea to take part in joint U.S.-Philippines exercises taking place in the Philippines beginning Apr. 5. Previously, United States Forces Korea (USFK) soldiers have participated in overseas exercises at the small scale of a few dozen troops or so, but this marks the first time an entire unit is being dispatched. This marks a serious development, as the United States has begun moving its forces according to its strategy of “strategic flexibility.”

Based on this strategy, the United States plans to operate its forces for rapid maneuvering rather than leaving them as a fixture in any one region. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States has pushed for these policy changes in the interest of making effective use of its forces overseas. Its intent is to broaden the scope of the USFK’s placement rather than tying them to the role of deterrent against North Korea according to the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and South Korea.

However, the U.S. military’s free coming and going overseas from a base in South Korea, without any controls from the South Korean government, is not a matter that can simply be overlooked. The possibility exists that South Korea may end up unwittingly embroiled in a conflict in another nation or subjected to unnecessary suspicions. Given the delicate interweaving of potential causes for tension on the peninsula and in East Asia, it is reasonable to have serious concerns about this aspect. As an immediate example, Beijing has been expressing keen alarm over the USFK’s role as a curb against it.

In light of these factors, South Korea and the United States agreed on a set of principles regarding the USFK’s strategic flexibility in January 2006. At this time, Seoul agreed to show understanding for Washington’s change in global military strategy and respect the need for strategic flexibility with the USFK. The United States, for its part, agreed to respect Seoul’s desire not to get involved in any regional conflicts in Northeast Asia irrespective of the South Korean people’s will. The problem is that no subsequent procedures were properly instituted to manage the enforcement of these principles.

For instance, last October’s Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the United States failed to produce a consensus, with Seoul requesting the institutionalization of prior discussions when applying the strategic flexibility concept, and Washington declaring that it would merely provide notification.

With this latest decision, the U.S. Eighth Army merely provided a brief announcement of the fact that the reconnaissance battalion would be taking part in the exercises. Neither the Combined Forces Command nor the South Korean Ministry of National Defense provided any explanation about the process. It is not normal for South Korea to merely receive unilateral notification without any preliminary discussions when a USFK unit is transferred. We hope the South Korean and U.S. military authorities will engage in sincere discussions and disclose details about the process. (Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr] )

_________________________________
NO 731, recent News
Ministry of National Defense
South Korea and the Philippines deepen military ties　
March 15 (upload on March 21, 2011)

South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, rear left, and his counterpart Voltaire Gazmin of the Philippines at a welcoming ceremony at the ministry in Seoul on Mar. 14. After the welcoming ceremony, two ministers discussed ways to boost bilateral defense exchanges and arms trade, the ministry said. It also said that they exchanged opinions related to regional security matters.

Earlier on Mar. 13, Gazmin landed on South Korea for his four-day visit here. Gazmin visited the Seoul National Cemetry in Dongjak, Seoul, and a 1950-53 Korean War Veterans Memorial for the Philippines in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, to pay solemn respect to war deads.

Gazmin have also toured major defense firms. Filipino defense minister, who had served as a commander-in-chief of the Philippines Armed Forces and the ambassador to Cambodia, took ministerial position since June last year.

The Philippines, one of South Korea's traditional allies, had sent some 7,400 troops each year during and after the Korean War between September 1950 and 1955 to fight for freedom of South Korea.

After signing memorandum of understanding related to cooperation on defense and war industry with the Philippines in May 1994, South Korea had either donate F-5A fighters, Patrol Killer Medium and T-41 jets for entry level pilot training for free or sold them.

The issue of the problematic construction of the 2nd runway in the Osan U. S. AFB, Pyeongtaek is growing

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Update 엎데이트

Monday, November 1, 2010
The village festival, Daechuri, Pyeongtaek, three years after eviction
평택 대추리 마을 잔치, 이주 3년 후

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Text Fwd: PACOM Headlines: Pacific Integration key to Army strategy
[아태 사령부] 군사 전략에서 태평양 통합의 열쇠

Monday, October 25, 2010
Poster Fwd: 2010 Daechuri Village Festival, Pyeongtaek, Oct. 30,
2010 년 10월 30일, 대추리 마을 잔치
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*Image source 이미지 소스: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터
(* For the related blog, click HERE 관련 블로그는 여기를 클릭)

* Image source: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터
'Satellite map of the Songtan AFB (So called Osan AFB) 송탄 미공군 기지(오산 공군 기지라 불리는) 위성 지도'

* Image source: The National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S.Troops in Korea 주한 미군 범죄 근절 운동 본부
* Original image source 원래 이미지 소스: Voice of People 민중의 소리(www.vop.co.kr)

The proposed runway currently in construction is shown as the upper part of the two white bands in the top of the above map. The other white band is a current runway. The yellow parts are called as the reserved areas in the map.



Click the images for larger views 이미지들을 클릭하시면 확대됩니다.

The three above images are combination of the page 2, 9, 10 of each original English and translated Korean. The image sources are as the below.

English image source 영문 이미지 소스: CLICK HERE 여기 클릭(PDF file)
7th Air Force (Air Forces Korea CY 07 Combined Defense Improvement Projects (CDIP) Construct 2nd Runway, Osan Air base_Capt. Edward Wiesner III_ 6 Feb, 2009

Korean image source 국문 이미지 소스: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터(여기 클릭)
제 7공군(한미 공군)_ 2007년도 연합 방위력 증강 사업(CDIP) 제 2 활주로 설치, 오산 비행장_ 중위 에드워드 와이즈너 4세_2009. 2. 6)
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Koreans centered around the Pyeongtaek peace activists and residents have been in a legal battle since April 29, 2010 when about 200 people filed a lawsuit against the Minister of National Defense, ‘demanding the cancellation of approval for the construction of a second runway (국, 영문) at the U.S. air base in Osan’ near Pyeongtaek and accusing ‘the Korean government of approving the U.S. air base's runway expansion project without conducting an environmental impact assessment or consulting the local municipal authority or residents.’ (See the Yonhap News, May 1, 2010). For the related blog, see HERE.

According to a recent email by Mr. Kang San-Won, Director of the Pyeongtaek Peace Center, the Ministry of National Defense, ROK said since the land had already been provided to the United States Forces of Korea, domestic laws could not be applied while the ROK-US Status of Forces Agreement stated that it only respected the Korean domestic laws and it was not mandatory [to apply the laws in the construction of the runway in the USFK bases].

Otherwise, the United States, after examining [the documents], has sent him a reply that it cannot go through the environmental impact assessment and only sent him the title of the law, EXECUTIVE ORDER12114, to look for it and Mr. Kang Sang-Won had to search it himself in the web. The content of the below PDF file is what Mr. Kang found in the web.

	eo12114.pdf 296K View Download

According to Mr. Kang Sang-Won, The Osan base, namely the Pyeongtaek US AFB is where the 7th Air Force Headquarter under the US Asia Pacific Command is stationed, is the core facility of the US military, occupies the 9,613,000㎥ land, similar to the area size of Yoido and about 7,000 US military and civilian are stationed there.

The expansion of the Pyeongtaek USFK base has gathered the activists' attention again in the sense that the controversial runway construction is suspected to serve to the aim of the United States military that wants to use the Korean peninsula as its out post to the overseas invasion such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Below is Pyeongtaek Peace Center's opinion regarding the problems of the 2nd runway. Sorry that it is only Korean now.

Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터
[기고_평택시민신문]평택시민은 안중에 없는 미공군 제2활주로 건설 2010-09-10

미군기지 확장으로 큰 진통을 앓았던 평택.
상처가 채 아물지도 않았는데 평택미공군기지(K55/OsanAirBase)내 제2활주로 건설계획이 발표되면서 평택은 또다시 술렁이고 있다.

주한미군이 추진하고 있는 평택미공군기지 제2활주로 건설 사업은 숱한 문제점을 안고 있다.
우선. 주민피해에 대해서는 단 한 줄도 언급하지 않고 있는 점이다.

평택미공군기지 인근지역 주민들은 지난 60년간 전투기 소음으로 이루 말할 수 없는 피해를 받아왔다. 특히 활주로에 인접해있는 마을의 소음도는 심각한 수준이다. 활주로가 추가로 건설되면 소음은 더욱 증가할 것이며 소음피해 지역 또한 확대된다. 또한 활주로 건설로 비행안전구역이 확대되어 각종 개발행위들이 제한받아 재산권도 침해받게 된다. 뿐만 아니라 활주로간의 안전거리규정도 지키지 않은 채 공사가 강행되고 있다.

둘째. 아무리 국책사업이라 하지만 평택시민의 삶과 미래에 중대한 영향을 미치게 될 중차대한 문제를 협의 하기는 커녕 통보조차 하지도 않았다.

셋째. 미군기지이전협정과 국내법을 송두리째 위반하고 있다.
제2활주로가 들어설 부지는 오래전 주한미군측에 공여된 부지라고 하지만, 제2활주로 예정부지에 설치되어있는 패트리어트 등을 옮기기 위한 대체부지는 지난 2004년 12월 발효된 ‘대한민국과 미합중국간의 연합토지관리계획협정에 관한 개정협정(연합토지관리계획협정)’에 의해 안전지역권으로 공여된 부지이다.

안전지역권은 각종 폭발물로부터 주민들의 생명과 재산을 보호하기위해 마련되었으나 안전지역권에 또 다른 위험시설을 설치하겠다는 것은 명백한 연합토지관리계획협정 위반행위다. 뒤늦게 안전지역권 변경을 위해 한미간의 협상이 진행하고 있지만 국방부는 평택미공군기지 제2활주로 건설 사업을 2008년 9월 연합방위력증강사업으로 확정하고 2009년에만 60억원을 지출하였다. 절차상으로 ‘개정협정→연합방위력증강사업으로 확정→예산지출’이 되어야 하지만 ‘연합방위력사업으로 확정→예산지출→개정협정’으로 진행되고 있는 것이다.

한미SOFA협정문에도 대한민국의 환경법, 규정 및 기준을 존중하겠다고 명시되어있고 ‘환경영향평가법률’에도 국방·군사시설의 설치사업도 환경영향평가를 실시하여야 하며 국방·군사시설은 대한민국에 주둔하는 외국군대의 부대(部隊)시설과 군사목적을 위하여 필요한 시설을 포함한 국방·군사시설의 설치·이전 및 변경에 관한 사업 등이라고 규정하고 있음에도 ‘존중’만 하면 될 뿐 ‘의무’는 아니라며 국내법을 무시하고 공사를 강행하고 있다.

최근 평택미공군기지 인근지역 주민 200명이 ‘연합방위력증강사업 무효처분소송’을 제출하면서 주민들의 저항이 본격화되고 있다.

주한미군은 현재 사용하고 있는 활주로가 노후되었다는 이유를 내세워 국민들의 귀를 현혹시키고 있지만, 평택미공군기지를 통해 동북아시아 등 미국이 필요로 하는 지역과 국가에 해외주둔 미군을 자유롭게 이동시킬 수 있는 ‘주한미군의 전략적유연성’의 실현을 위해 기반을 마련하기 위한 것이 이 문제의 본질임을 알고 있다.

결국 평택미공군기지 제2활주로건설 사업을 막기 위한 주민들의 투쟁은 주민들의 평화적 생존권을 지키기 위한 투쟁일 뿐만 아니라 한반도의 미래를 결정지을 중요한 문제가 될 것이다.
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*Related videos 관련 비디오들

US Bases in Pyeongtaek( English) (Source: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터)



US Bases in Pyeongtaek (Japanese) (Source: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터)




* See also
the video on the airplane noise issue in the Atski base in Kanakawa Prefecture
가나가와 현 아츠키 기지 비행기 소음 관련 비디오
(Production by Yamatoshi 야마토시 제작) (Source: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터)

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*Related references and blogs 관련 참조들 및 블로그들

The Korean Anti-Base Peace Movement, Focused on Pyeongtaek
by Kang Sang-Won (Director, Pyeongtaek Peace Center)
April 17, 2009
위의 글의 국문은 여기서 볼 수 있읍니다.
평택에 촛점을 맞춘 한국의 반기지 평화 운동
강상원, 평택 평화 센터
2009년 4월 17일

Saturday, May 1, 2010
Text Fw:S. Koreans begin legal battle to deter expansion of U.S. air base
남한 사람들, 미군 공군 기지 확장을 저지하기 위하여 법적 전투에 들어가다

Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터
Osan Air Base set for twin runways by 2010 (English)
2010년까지 오산 공군기지에 쌍둥이 활주로가 생긴다(Korean, 국문)
Stars and Stripes
By Franklin Fisher,
Pacific edition, Wednesday, March 5, 2008 / 2008. 3. 5.

Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터
[평택미공군기지활주로건설계획]미7공군사령부작성(국문), 2009. 2. 6.
첨부파일
1330FEB06GES(H)_OsanAB2ndRunwayProject.pdf (380.9 KB)

주한 미군 범죄 근절 운동 본부
Newsis 뉴시스
평택美기지 주민소송단, '제2활주로건설 실시계획 승인무효' 訴 제기
기사등록 일시 [2010-04-28 15:22:00]

Asia Pacific Journal(Japan Focus)
Anti-Base Movements in South Korea: Comparative Perspective on the Asia-Pacific
Andrew Yeo
영문: 아시아 퍼시픽 저널 (재팬 포커스)
남한의 반 기지 운동들: 아시아 태평양 비교 전망
앤드류 여

No Base Stories of Korea
Pyeongtaek Since April 2007
December 27, 2008
영문: 2007면 4월 이후 평택
2008년 12월 27일

Aug. 31, 2010 2010년 8월 31일
Photos Fwd: We oppose the South Koreans’ paying for the whole cost of the relocation of the USFK bases
사진들: 우리는 한국인들이 주한미군 기지 이전 전체 비용을 부담하는 것을 반대한다

Friday, August 27, 2010 2010년 8월 26일
Text Fwd: US to redeploy troops in Korea from 2017
미국, 한국에서 2017년 부터 군대 재배치

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 2010년 6월 29일
Text Fwd: S.Korea may shoulder expenses for USFK Yongsan Garrison relocation
한국, 주한미군 용산 주둔지 이전 비용 짊어질 지도

All the blogs on Pyeongtaek/ Osan/ Camp Humphreys (65)
평택/오산/캠프 험프리에 관련된 모든 블로그들 (65)

Text Fwd: US to redeploy troops in Korea from 2017

Korea Times
'US to redeploy troops in Korea from 2017'
By Jung Sung-ki
08-26-2010 17:04

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) will start deploying some of its troops to other parts of the region in 2017 under the U.S. Army’s broad transformation worldwide, according to officials at Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Combined Forces Command (CFC) Thursday.

The move is in line with the planned relocation of U.S. bases and facilities to Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province and the stabilization of the USFK’s longer, family-accompanied “tour normalization” plan by that time, the officials said.

It is the first time that the timeline for the so-called strategic flexibility of U.S. forces has been unveiled.

The transformation process officially began on June 16 when the 8th Army was designated as a field army construct, said a CFC official.

“The plan is part of the 8th Army’s larger transformation into a forward-deployed warfighting headquarters that would not only be responsible for the defense of South Korea but responsible for contingencies off the peninsula,” the official said, asking not to be named.

U.S. soldiers could be deployed on a rotational basis and come back to South Korea where their family members are stationed, he noted.

The 8th Army will continue to be headed by a three-star general, while its headquarters will move from Seoul to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, which will be tripled in size to accommodate most U.S. forces and facilities on the peninsula, he added.

Lt. Col. Jeff Buczkowski, spokesman for the 8th U.S. Army, was unavailable for comments.

USFK spokesman David Oten declined to elaborate on the transformation, saying he had no information available.

On Wednesday, Buczkowski was quoted by the Stars and Stripes as saying that no decisions have been made about how many soldiers could deploy at a time, but “any dip below the current U.S. troop strength of 28,500 would be only temporary.”

The spokesman said the 8th Army’s main role will continue to be acting as a deterrent against North Korea and the ability to deploy troops will give the command a “regional focus rather than a peninsula focus.”

The 8th Army currently serves as a force provider to a theater commander. By the end of the transformation, it will become a “field army” or an “echelon above corps” capable of commanding multiple U.S. and multinational corps, said Buczkowski.

The possibility of U.S. troops’ redeployment to other regions has raised concerns here amid fears that such a move could weaken the U.S. military’s commitment to the security of South Korea against North Korean attacks.

A JCS official downplayed such concerns.

“The strategic flexibility involves both concepts of 'flow-out' and 'flow-in,’” the official said. “In terms of flow-out, I don't think the U.S. will deploy large parts of USFK to other regions, given Washington holds the strategic value of the Korean Peninsula in great account and will not ignore security conditions on the peninsula.”

He continued, “Flow-in means the U.S. will dispatch its troops around the globe to the peninsula faster than ever before in case of an emergency, so that deterrence against North Korea will be further improved. So I don't think we'll face any security vacuum because of the strategic flexibility plan.”

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has hinted at the redeployment of U.S. troops in South Korea in recent months.

In a town-hall meeting with U.S. forces here in July, Mullen said, “Part of the discussion we are having with the Republic of Korea, with the leadership, and what we will be able to do in the next several years is support for deployments, literally, off the peninsula.

“But we're not there yet. We haven't got to that point in time. But will there be rotational options? And part of this is, quite frankly, a regional issue,” he said.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

Text Fwd: Experts address misconceptions about OPCON transfer

Hankyoreh
Experts address misconceptions about OPCON transfer
:The debate over OPCON transfer has been ongoing since the Park Chung-hee administration
June 25, 2010

» General Jung Seung-jo, deputy commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, center, participates in a ceremony and receives a flag from Combined Forces Commander General Walter L. Sharp, left, at Seoul’s Yongsan base, June 24... The debate over transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) from the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to the South Korean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been long-standing. Proponents of delaying the transfer stress that the transfer of wartime operational control would result in an exit by USFK, and South Korea does not yet have the capacity to exercise command independently. They have also voiced criticism that the wartime operational control transfer was a rash decision by the Roh Moo-hyun administration that ignored grave security realities. Was the Transfer of Command an Immature, Rash Decision by the Roh Administration? Some conservatives consider the transfer of wartime operational control to have started with the warped “anti-American, self-reliant” ideology of the Roh administration and a populism reliant on nationalism. The first president to raise the issue of wartime operational control, however, was former President Park Chung-hee, who did so in the late 1960s. The South Korean and U.S. governments clashed over a response to North Korea’s commando assault on Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) on Jan. 21, 1968 and the North Korea’s capture of the U.S. intelligence gathering ship USS Pueblo two days later. This was because the United States issued no response to the attack on Cheong Wa Dae, but went to DEFCON 2 in response to the seizing of the Pueblo. Furious, Park asked the United States to transfer operational control to South Korea. The transfer of wartime operational control was officially raised again as a campaign pledge by then-ruling party presidential candidate Roh Tae-woo. Discussions over the transfer issue were held between South Korean and U.S. military authorities, and on Dec. 1, 1994, during the Kim Young-sam administration, peacetime operational control was transferred back to South Korea. In 1995, the Defense Ministry crafted a plan to push for the transfer of wartime operational control around the year 2000. Will the USFK Diminish or Withdraw if Wartime Operational Control is Transferred? Conservatives claim that a wartime operational control transfer will result in a USFK reduction or withdraw, or that it will become difficult for the United States to send reinforcements in wartime. Stationing U.S. troops in South Korea, however, is based on a bilateral mutual defense pact, and is not directly related to the transfer of wartime operational control. Experts have stated that even if the transfer of wartime operational control is delayed, one cannot exclude the possibility of decreases in U.S. troop strength in South Korea in the medium to long term because of the U.S. “strategic flexibility” strategy. This is to say, although the Combined Forces Command’s OPLAN 5027 calls for 690,000 U.S. troops to be dispatched to South Korea within 90 days of the start of a war, the military believes it will be hard for the U.S. to send more than 200,000 to 300,000 troops in an emergency as the U.S. has been tied down in the War on Terror since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Does South Korea Lack the Capacity to Exercise Wartime Operational Control Independently? Most security experts believe South Korea has sufficient military strength to deter North Korea. South Korea remains a military power in strong standing, as it ranks 10th in the world in overall military spending and maintains the world’s sixth largest military. In fact, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reportedly told Cheong Wa Dae last August that its research into a comparison in both countries’ military strength showed that even without USFK or wartime U.S. reinforcements, the South Korean military was 10 percent stronger than the North Korean military. Internationally recognized U.S. military expert James Dunnigan also once evaluated North Korea’s fighting strength as about 40 percent of South Korea’s capacity based on a 1995 assessment. One reserve general said Thursday that the fluster the command experienced during the sinking of the Cheonan was largely the fault of the absence of independently planned or managed operations for around 60 years. He said the transfer of command could be turned into an opportunity to boost South Korea’s operational planning and management capacity. Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

Text Fwd: South Korea Post Readies for More Troops, Families

* Image source: same as the below link

An artist’s rendering of the new downtown area of U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea, shows lots of family-friendly services and amenities. Courtesy photo (Click photo for screen-resolution image);
high-resolution image available.
________________________________________________________________

* For the Related blog, see HERE.

Makiko Sato has also thankfully informed the below link on Korea Command (KORCOM) on March 26, 2010. Please see it HERE.

__________________________________________________________________________________

* Text informed by Corazon Valdez Fabros through AP- No Bases on March 27, 2010

South Korea Post Readies for More Troops, Families

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service (DOD News)

U.S. ARMY GARRISON HUMPHREYS, South Korea, March 26, 2010 – “If you build it, they will come.”

The massive military community rising from the rice paddies here dwarfs anything Kevin Costner’s character might have envisioned in the movie “Field of Dreams.”

The old Camp Humphreys is transforming from a quiet aviation base off the beaten track from Pyongtaek into a major hub for U.S. forces in South Korea. It’s part of a major realignment of the 28,500 servicemembers in Korea, with nearly all of them to move south of the Han River within the next several years.

All but a tiny residual force will leave U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, current home to U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Korea in the heart of Seoul, and the 2nd Infantry Division and its supporting elements will relocate from Camp Casey and its tiny satellite bases north of the capital.

Most will consolidate at a U.S. military base being built here that’s unlike anything ever seen before on the Korean peninsula.

The project is moving forward, full speed ahead, Army Gen. Walter “Skip” Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, reported to the House Armed Services Committee yesterday.

“We are on track, over the next five or six years, to complete all of the construction down there,” he told the panel. “We will actually start moving down there in 2012, and then phase that in over the next several years following that.”

Sharp resisted setting a definitive timetable for completion, but said the effort is on the fast track.

“We're trying to do it as quickly as possible, to be able to return this land of the Republic of Korea and to consolidate our forces to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers,” he told Congress.

At Humphreys, Army Col. Joseph Moore, the garrison commander, gets excited talking about the enormity of the project and the unprecedented quality of life it will offer.

Initial plans called for the post’s population to more than quadruple from the current 10,000, which includes 4,200 military members and about 2,500 U.S. civilian employees, contractors and family members. But a new dynamic added to the mix just as the relocation plan was being launched – the normalization of tours in South Korea – is expected to further increase the scope of the project, Moore said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced in December the extension of tour lengths in Korea. Under the normalization plan, single servicemembers will serve two-year tours, and married troops who bring their families will stay for three years.

So instead of about 1,900 family members currently here, and about 15,000 expected to arrive as U.S. forces relocate south and more command-sponsored slots are offered, Moore estimates that the post ultimately could become home to as many as 30,000 family members, swelling the base’s total population to more than 62,000.

Bulldozers are busy at work, preparing for their arrival. The result essentially will be a brand-new installation, unrecognizable to anyone who has served in the hodgepodge of buildings built at Humphreys over the decades to accommodate troops serving one-year, unaccompanied tours.

Seventy percent of those existing buildings will be razed, explained Todd Dirmeyer, chief master planner for the project. Replacing them will be a state-of-the-art community planned from the ground up to accommodate servicemembers and their families. The new Humphreys complex will dwarf the current post, tripling its size to almost 3,600 acres and providing about 30 million square feet in finished building space, compared to the current 4 million.

For comparison’s sake, Fort Bliss, Texas, the U.S. installation experiencing the most growth due to base realignment and closure mandates, is adding 13 million square feet of facilities, Moore noted.

“It really is an awesome thing, if you think about it, because we are going to build a city here,” he said. “This is like starting with a blank canvas that considers the whole of the property and the timing of the demolition and construction. At the end of it, we will have essentially a new installation, instead of a new one adjoined to an old one.”

That new installation will provide state-of-the-art unit training, maintenance and equipment storage facilities, as well as modern housing, dining and recreational amenities, Dirmeyer said.

The plan incorporates lessons from Fort Bliss and other BRAC installations, from the multi-story post exchange that’s proven successful at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and from the transformation Moore oversaw at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

“This represents a new vision, with efficient and thoughtful facility placement,” Dirmeyer said as he looked over a map of the post dotted with different-colored squares and rectangles representing facilities to be built.

“The maneuver and training areas designated for local training are situated away from the housing, recreational and commercial areas. The industrial areas and vehicle maintenance facilities are away from those areas,” he said. “Troop housing is within walking distance of working areas. Family housing is in a commercial area, with family-friendly facilities and schools within walking distance or an easy commute.”

Barracks will be the popular “one plus one” design, in which servicemembers have private bedrooms and bathrooms, but share a common living area. A private company will pay for, build and manage most family housing units, similar to the residential communities initiative being used at stateside posts.

A downtown shopping area, built around a food, beverage and entertainment complex, will give garrison residents a sense of Hometown USA, Dirmeyer said. An aquatics park that opened in 2006 already has proven to be a big hit, as well as the new community fitness center, affectionately called the “Super Gym.”

While providing these and other quality-of-life amenities, the planners took pains to preserving green spaces. Walkways connect living and working areas, and ball fields, picnic areas and a riverfront jogging path will beckon residents outdoors.

Even with his latest challenge -- accommodating an additional 15,000 family members due to tour normalization -- Moore is committed to preserving sweeping outdoor areas. “We’re looking at a lot of different options, and we have a lot of ideas,” he said. “What we don’t want is to sacrifice what is really a great plan by plugging additional buildings in almost randomly.”

As these final decisions get made and the weather warms up, Humphreys is buzzing with construction activity.

Eighteen construction projects, with a contract value of $1.2 billion, already are under way on the existing post. Another 57 projects are in the planning and design process.

Meanwhile, a massive effort is under way to build up the rice paddies surrounding the post to accommodate the new construction. The land needs to be built up almost 15 feet to bring it above the 50-year flood plain, Moore said.

That, Dirmeyer explained, takes a lot of dirt.

“On a busy day this summer, you would see upward of 3,000 vehicles in a single day, bringing dirt in here,” he said. “If you took all the mileage from the first truck to the very last truck required to do this land expansion, it would equal 17 round-trips to the moon. And if you took allthe fill, it would fill the Hoover Dam.” As the land is built up, giant piles are being driven into the ground to provide a stable building site.

As the planning and building processes take place, Moore said, the biggest challenge is ensuring it never interferes with the U.S. mission here.

“My first goal is to support General Sharp’s first priority: to be prepared to fight tonight,” he said. “So everything we do has to be connected to that first goal. We cannot do something that would interrupt a unit’s ability to do its mission.”

The effort here also supports Sharp’s priority of strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance because of the cooperative way it’s being planned, funded and built, Moore said.

Moore said he’s particularly proud of the quality-of-life improvements the new U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys will provide U.S. servicemembers and their families, fulfilling Sharp’s third command priority.

Ultimately, Moore said he expects Humphreys to be the assignment of choice for U.S. forces who come to see it as the best place to serve in South Korea.

“This ought to sell itself. We ought not have to sell Humphreys,” he said. “If we do it well, it will sell itself, and servicemembers will tell other servicemembers that this is a great place to live.”

Biographies:
Army Gen. Walter Sharp

Related Sites:
U.S. Forces Korea
U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys

Related Articles:
Commander, Troops Support Korea Tour Plan

The planners of the new U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys complex in South Korea took pains to provide plenty of green space as well as a waterfront area that will invite servicemembers and their families outdoors. Courtesy photo
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Families at the new U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea, will live in modern, high-rise units convenient to schools, churches, shopping and other services. Courtesy photo
Download screen-resolution
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Barracks being built at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea, feature the popular “one plus one” design in which troops have private bedrooms and bathrooms, but share a common living area. Courtesy photo
Download screen-resolution
Download high-resolution

Text Fw: Guam references in appropriations request statement - Admiral Robert F. Willard

* Text informed by Martha Duenas through Famoksaiyan Friends (and thankfully reminded by Makiko Sato) on March 26, 2010. The color emphasis is by Martha Duenas.
________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL ROBERT F. WILLARD,
U.S. NAVY COMMANDER U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND

BEFORE THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION IN U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND

MARCH 24, 2010

FISCAL YEAR (FY) 11 MILCON [pdf page 3]

In FY11, USPACOM is postured to request funding for facilities and infrastructure to support U.S. military forces and their families. MILCON requested by the services in the Pacific AOR is categorized into four broad areas: Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI), Republic of Korea (ROK) Transformation, Grow-the-Force, and Sustainment.

DEFENSE POLICY REVIEW INITIATIVE

Rapid response in the Asia-Pacific region hinges on flexibility, speed and forward basing of our military forces. On May 1, 2006, the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and their Japanese counterparts released the Roadmap for Realignment, which outlines the overall implementation for the relocation of U.S. forces in Japan. The importance of the Roadmap was reaffirmed in February 2009 in a second agreement signed by Secretary of State Clinton and her Government of Japan counterpart. Moreover, the Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI) agreed to with Japan will sustain the capacity of our forward ground forces while addressing the burden-sharing concerns of our Japanese hosts. The majority of DPRI actions remain on track and Japan is shouldering most of the planned facility construction costs associated with the agreed changes. The exception is the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF). The newly elected Japanese government is presently reviewing the plan to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to another location on Okinawa. We are optimistic that the Government of Japan will fully reaffirm the 2006 GoJ-U.S. agreement by May 2010. The relocation of MCAS Futenma, which affirms the continued presence of Marine Corps airlift capability on Okinawa, is the critical element enabling the relocation of 8,000 Marines to Guam. Per the agreement, U.S. MILCON funds will contribute to the costs for facility and infrastructure construction on Guam to support the relocating Marines and their dependents.

Guam: As do the Okinawa-based Marines, Guam-based forces offer the strategic flexibility and response needed for the U.S. to be postured for contingencies in the Asia-Pacific. MILCON funding is in turn a vital enabler for the timely relocation of Marines to Guam. FY11 funding continues our contribution to the 2006 Realignment Roadmap estimated facilities and infrastructure cost on Guam of $10.3 billion. Under the agreement, Japan will provide $6.1 billion of the funding with the U.S. providing the remaining funding. Japan committed its first increment of funds by appropriating $336 million in May 2009. We are hopeful their second increment of funding, expected in 2010, will further demonstrate their commitment to the effort. In our request, FY11 MILCON funding totaling $427 million will provide utilities and airfield ramp space to bed-down Marine aviation at Andersen AFB and wharf improvements at Apra Harbor. Additional investments will be needed to improve off-base Guam infrastructure, such as roads and bridges critical to the successful throughput of materials to the planned Marine Corps installation.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA (ROK) TRANSFORMATION [pdf page 4]

We continue to work with the Republic of Korea to realign and enhance U.S. force posture to ensure an effective and sustainable long-term presence on the Korean Peninsula which underlies our steadfast commitment to the defense of the ROK. Although the ROK is providing much of the funding for the planned changes, MILCON funds are needed for some facility construction and infrastructure.

The United States will develop a more capable and responsive U.S. and combined force posture in the ROK to strengthen the alliance’s deterrent and defense capabilities and long-term capacity for regional and global defense cooperation. Projects for the Land Partnership Plan and the Yongsan Relocation Plan include relocating U.S. troops out of downtown Seoul, returning the majority of Yongsan Army Garrison to the ROK, and consolidating our troops into two primary hubs south of Seoul. This effort sustains a strong U.S. combat presence on the Peninsula, while lessening the intrusiveness of our force presence in major urban centers like Seoul. We anticipate the ROK continuing to fund much of the facilities and infrastructure construction for this USFK realignment. For FY11, ROK Transformation includes the relocation of an Air Force heavy engineer construction unit to Guam. Eight million is requested to construct a headquarters facility at Andersen AFB for this engineer unit.

...

SUSTAINMENT MILCON – QUALITY OF LIFE [pdf page 8]

Quality of Life for our activity duty Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and their dependents continues to be a key enabler and retention factor for these Americans serving overseas often thousands of miles and many time zones away from family and loved ones. FY11, $644 million of requested Quality of Life MILCON will ensure we provide adequate housing, medical facilities, and recreation opportunities to these men, women and their families. MARFORPAC requests $30 million to replace an undersized and outdated fitness center at Camp H.M. Smith Hawaii. US Forces Korea seeks $20 million to upgrade utility systems at Camp Walker.

Bachelor Housing: In FY11, USPACOM requests $346 million for six barracks projects. PACAF plans to construct a student barracks worth $12 million at the Pacific Regional Training Center at Andersen AFB Guam. USARPAC seeks $216 million in Hawaii to renovate and construct barracks at Schofield Barracks and Tripler Army Medical Center. Naval Station San Diego California requests $75 million to construct junior enlisted quarters. Finally, MARFORPAC requires $43 million for bachelor enlisted quarters at Camp Pendleton.

...

Medical: $70 million is required in Guam to support the second increment of replacement of the outdated 1950s era hospital. When complete the hospital will provide modern state of the art medical services for activity duty members and dependents including the planned additional Marine personnel. Camp Carroll in Korea requires $20 million to provide a consolidated health-dental clinic.

http://appropriations.house.gov/Witness_testimony/MC/Robert_Willard.3.24.10.pdf

Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

3/24/10

Hearing- Pacific Command
10:00 AM, H143, The Capitol

- Admiral Robert F. Willard, U.S. Navy, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command(Testimony)
- General Walter “Skip” Sharp, Commander, Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command, and Commander, United States Forces Korea(Testimony)

http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_mivet.shtml

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

House Armed Services Committee

Ike Skelton, Chairman http://armedservices.house.gov

For Immediate Release: March 25, 2010 Contact: Lara Battles or Jennifer Kohl

202-225-2539

Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton

Hearing on the FY 2011 Budget Requests from U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea

Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) delivered the following opening statement during today’s hearing on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget requests from U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea:

“Today the committee will continue its posture hearings with Admiral Robert Willard, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command and General “Skip” Sharp, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea. At the outset, I want to welcome you both back to the committee, and thank you for your excellent leadership. I also want to thank the troops that you lead, along with their families, for their incredible service and personal sacrifice.

“There is an ever present danger that we in Washington are so focused on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq that security challenges elsewhere in the world will not get the attention they merit. More concretely, as a result of the last nine years of operations, the readiness posture of all the combatant commands outside the Middle East has suffered, creating heightened strategic risk. There are clear examples of these problems in the Asia-Pacific, and I believe that we ignore them at our peril.

“Let me review just a few of the daunting challenges ahead in the Asia-Pacific. The rebasing of U.S. Marines from Japan to Guam is one of the largest movements of military assets in decades, estimated to cost over ten billion dollars. The changes being planned as part of that move will not only affect our bilateral relationship with Japan; they will shape our strategic posture throughout the critical Asia-Pacific region for 50 years or more.

“Yet the path forward remains unclear. Japan is reassessing the agreement to move troops from Okinawa to Guam. It does not appear that the budget includes sufficient funds to accomplish the agreement -- and the Environmental Protection Agency has identified problems with the rebasing plan’s environmental impacts. We must get this right, and I assure you that this committee will work to ensure that we do.

“Last year North Korea launched a Taepo-Dong-2 missile over Japan; conducted a second nuclear test; kicked out inspectors; pulled out of the Six Party Talks; and restarted its nuclear facilities. All of this occurred in the context of an uncertain leadership and succession environment that may have fed some of these very concerning events.

“At the same time, our presence in South Korea is transforming. We are undertaking tour normalizations in Korea and substantially relocating our forces, an effort we will hear today has now been postponed for several years. There are also questions about how the new U.S.-South Korea command relationship, starting in 2012, will work. I am most interested in an update on these issues during today’s discussion.

“Never to be forgotten in this region, of course, is China. China recently suspended high-level military and other contacts with the U.S. in response to a U.S. arms sale to Taiwan. While China’s announced defense budget increase for this year is less than it has been in the past, their budget is still growing rapidly and the linkage between their stated strategic intentions and their actions remains unclear in certain areas. China conducted an unexpected mid-course missile interception test earlier this year- and reports of cyber-attacks from China against Google and other large U.S. companies continue to be troubling.

“We must be proactively engaged in the Asia-Pacific region on multiple fronts, and realize that our own actions may well influence the choices and actions of others. We must be able to pursue opportunities for security cooperation with regional allies and partners. At the same time, we must ensure that our force posture allows us to deter or to confront any security challenge that might emerge in this part of the world. We have difficult work to do to get there. I am pleased that the Department of Defense and Obama administration have already taken a number of positive steps in this direction and I hope to see more as we move forward.

“I now turn to my able Ranking Member, Buck McKeon, for any statement he may wish to make.”

Text Fwd: USFK Chief Sees Base Relocation to End in 2015

* Korea Times
03-21-2010 20:04
USFK Chief Sees Base Relocation to End in 2015

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK),
indicated that it could take five or six years before U.S. troops move
to a consolidated military base south of the Han River due to the size
and complexity of the massive relocation project.

Sharp, who also serves as chief of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces
Command and the United Nations Command, made the remarks in an
interview with the Stars and Stripes, a U.S. military news paper.

The four-star general didn't give an exact date for the move,
according to the newspaper. The base relocation had been set by
previous USFK commanders for 2008 and later for 2012.

The move of U.S. troops to south of Seoul is part of a broader U.S.
military realignment abroad and also a major step in the USFK shifting
to a supporting role in the next few years as the South Korean
military assumes the key responsibility for its national defense.

Observers see the mission of Camp Humphreys, the consolidated base in
Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, will be gradually less focused on the
threat from North Korea and more on threats elsewhere in the region.
Works to expand the camp are under way with investment of some $13
billion.

"We're progressing well," Sharp said, adding there are still
difficulties coordinating construction and moving troops and their
families.

The move to Humphreys will roughly halve the number of U.S. military
installations in South Korea from about 105 to 45, said the commander.

Sharp said he was satisfied with the results of the latest Key Resolve
joint war exercises with the ROK military, which ended last Thursday.

Part of the exercise tackled what the two countries would do during
and before a North Korean attack, including trying to deescalate the
crisis before it turns into a war and how to bring in additional
troops, he said.

Citing the South Korean staff's active participation in the
simulation-driven command-post exercise, Sharp said, "They were in the
battle rhythm of us making decisions, of us coordinating with them, of
them giving recommendations.

"It was more than them just watching us. It was them participating
with us," he added.

South Korean commanders will take over operational control of their
troops during wartime beginning April 17, 2012. Currently, the USFK
commander holds the responsibility.

About 28,000 U.S. forces are stationed here as a deterrent against North Korea.

* Related article

Stars and Stripes ( * Information thankfully sent from Lindis Percy on March 21, 2010
USFK commander sees Humphreys move in 5 to 6 years
By Ashley Rowland,
Pacific edition, Sunday, March 21, 2010

No Key Resolve in Pohang: a US-SK Joint Marine War Drill and Press Interview

*Below are arbitrary translations of parts of the two articles combined together. One is the SPARK report
and the other is the article by Park Suk-Boon, Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK)
about the Pohang war drill.

* Except for the two whose sources were described below,
all the image sources are Kim Eun-Beom, from Incheon.

Pohang is called ‘the city of marine and POSCO (Pohang Iron and Steel Company)’,
Park Suk-Boon, SPARK staff, says.
As we arrived in the Pohang city, burning smoke smell from the POSCO factory
(You can see the smoke behind bridge, in photo) was so strong for people as to misunderstand it
as if their own car they were riding was burning.

The Police lining up in front of Camp Mujuk (red brick building in the photo), waited for
the participants of the press interview that was against the Key Resolve,
a US-SK annual joint war exercise, from March 8 to 18.

Despite all day rain and police interruption with illegal camera-recording of the protesters,
the 17 press interview participants firmly processed the press interview.
The press interview was on the urge to stop the SK-US marine joint combat exercise
in the mountain and urban areas. The SPARK says,
the urban exercise has been added in Pohang, for the first time, this year.

A SPARK staff talks about the need to be aware of the exercise and of military developments
that have to be stopped by the citizens in Pohang, which is known to be relatively conservative area.

The letters in the second say,
“Stop the US marine urban combat training aimed at occupation of Pyeongyang!”
The letters in the furthest right say,
“Stop the Key Resolve/ Foal Eagle war exercise for the invasion of North Korea!”


* Except for the two whose sources were described below,
all the image sources above are Kim Eun-Beom, from Incheon.

About 17 participants of the SPARK members from Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daekoo [= Daegu], Andong, Korean Confederation of Trdae Unions, Pohang regional branch and Korean alliance of Progressive Movement, Daekoo/ Gyungbuk regional branch had the press interview against the US-SK joint marine exercise, part of the Key Resolve, in front of Camp Mujuk, Ohun-eup, City of Pohang, at 11am, on March 9, 2010. It was raining all day in Pohang.

The police standing in front of Camp Mujuk with awe-inspiring security, responded with the over and illegal measure, such as camera-recording of the press interview participants, therefore the participants urged and protested the police to stop the illegal recording.

Park Suk-Boon, a SPARK staff, writes about the US-SK joint marine war drill in Pohang, as part of the invasive Key resolve war exercises as below(partly translated of the original article, ‘The SK-US Marine Combat Trainings in the Mountain/ Urban Area and Camp Mujuk.’

“The mountain/urban area combat training that seems to be practiced in the areas of Camp Mujuk in Pohang, 1st Marine division’s ranger training field and urban area combat training field, is aimed for the SK-US joint force to progress the ground operation abilities that would be deployed in the inland after their landing in North Korea. It is clear that the mountain training is in preparation for the irregular battles (such as ranger war, guerrilla war) that are to be staged in mountainous and steep topography of the North Korea, while the urban combat training is for the occupation & rule of the North Korean main cities including Pyeongyang and in preparation for the civilian-military operations there. It is for the United States to apply for the lessons and combat techniques that she has learnt in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Korean peninsula.

When Walter Sharp, Commander of the USFK, after analyzing by saying that, “ Realizing that [we] can not win North Korea in traditional all-out war, we are accelerating the irregular war strategy,” announced that, “The SK-US alliance forces are developing the special measure for that”(September 29, 2009), his words proved the mentioned above as well. It is the part that shows the war scenario of the Combined Forces Command/ The United nations Command is being developed from the traditional all-out war, following the operation plan 5027, even to the military plan for occupation & rule of North Korea.

'The mountain training that was practiced in the marine ranger training field,
Sukjung MT., Pohang, as part of the Key Resolve, last year'
( source: SPARK, original source: Lee Si-Woo, Tongil News reporter)

Camp Mujuk has been newly given to the USFK, based on the Land Partnership Plan (LPP) that was concluded in 2002. It was according to the LPP that the detached unit of Pohang, Command of the Navy, USFK (CNEF) that has belonged to the 1st Marine Command, ROK, was being integrated into Camp Mujuk, as well. There line of many ROK marine education/ training fields, ranger training field near the camp Mujuk. The US marine is using the Pohang airport, according to the mutual memorandum on the request of joint use of the ROK airplane field (May 1, 1978), as well. The Global Security is introducing the Pohang airport as the site that USMC TCAIR WRM (US Marine Corps’ Tactical Air War Reserve Material) is stored.

'The Pohang Airport introduced in the Global Security. The Pohang is marked as the site
that the USMC TCAIR WRM (US Marine Corps’ Tactical Air War Reserve Material) is stored.'
(Source provided by the Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea. Original source is Global Security.

The United States is planning to strengthen the Camp Mujuk as the ‘enduring base’. It is for the routine combat training and break of the expeditionary force of the US 3rd marine, by connecting it to the ROK marine facilities. The expeditionary force of the US 3rd marine is infamous as the spearhead unit of the United States’ foreign invasion, joining into the invasive Iraq war.”