U.S. considers pulling up to 4,000 troops from South Korea - Chosun Ilbo

By Joyce Lee

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam November 20, 2019. REUTERS/Kham

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States is considering a significant cut to its troop numbers in South Korea if Seoul does not contribute more to the cost of the deployment, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported on Thursday.

 

Washington broke off defence cost talks with South Korea this week after demanding Seoul raise its annual contribution to $5 billion (£4 billion), more than five times what it pays now, in a rare public display of discord in the alliance.

 

Neither side has publicly confirmed the numbers, but U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. military presence in and around South Korea was "$5 billion worth of protection".

 

"I understand that the U.S. is preparing to withdraw one brigade in case negotiations with South Korea do not go as well as President Trump wants," a diplomatic source in Washington with knowledge of the negotiations was cited as saying by Chosun Ilbo.

 

A typical U.S. military brigade numbers about 3,000 to 4,000 troops. There are about 28,500 U.S. troops currently stationed in South Korea, which remains technically in a state of war with nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea following their 1950-1953 conflict.

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he was not aware of any plans to withdraw 4,000 U.S. troops from South Korea if cost-sharing talks failed.

"We're not threatening allies over this. This is a negotiation," he told reporters during a trip to Vietnam.

 

South Korea's defence ministry said the Chosun report was "not the official position of the U.S. government".

 

Under U.S. law, the United States' troop presence in South Korea must not fall below 22,000 unless the Secretary of Defense justifies a further reduction to Congress.

 

Chosun said the potential reduction of a brigade from U.S. troops stationed in South Korea had already been discussed with the top brass of U.S. forces in South Korea.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said on Wednesday he believed the United States should continue to station troops in South Korea, when asked if he would continue to advocate for the presence of U.S. military personnel in the country if he is confirmed as deputy secretary of state.

 

"South Korea is among our most important alliance partners. That doesn't mean anybody gets a free ride. We have a tough burden-sharing negotiation that we're in the middle of with the South Koreans," Biegun said.

 

South Korean political party leaders visited Washington on Wednesday to press for a fair and reasonable outcome of the cost-sharing talks.

"I stressed that a withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea should not be brought up, as the South Korea-U.S. alliance also helps the U.S. national interest," said Na Kyung-won of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.

 

Meanwhile, South Korea's intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, which Seoul decided to terminate after relations soured over historical issues and has become the subject of increasing U.S. pressure to renew, is set to expire on Nov. 23.

 

South Korea's presidential office is holding a National Security Council meeting on Thursday, where the agreement is expected to be discussed, South Korean media said.

 

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Hanoi, David Brunnstrom and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by Jack Kim and Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-21

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Don't stop there. Withdraw the entire American contingent. South Korea is wealthy enough to defend itself.

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't stop there. Withdraw the entire American contingent. South Korea is wealthy enough to defend itself.

Exactly. They are already a match for the NKs. A small contingent should remain in communications, logistics, intelligence etc but no combat troops waiting to die on the border for someone else.

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

but U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. military presence in and around South Korea was "$5 billion worth of protection".

 

"Protection".

 

"Nice dry cleaners ya got there, be a shame if it burned down".

 

 

Unclear how much money this saves? I mean a brigade would not be fired, right? They'd return to the U.S., or get rented out as mercenaries to KSA?

 

 

 

 

Of course the US should be ready to use nukes to defend South Korea if the Chinese were to get involved.

Other than that back stop, which should be enough to keep the Chinese away, no more western boys should die to defend South Korea. Other than stopping the communists taking over the peninsula, what did the deaths of so many western boys accomplish? It's not even a war that people think about now.

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

"Protection".

 

"Nice dry cleaners ya got there, be a shame if it burned down".

 

 

Unclear how much money this saves? I mean a brigade would not be fired, right? They'd return to the U.S., or get rented out as mercenaries to KSA?

 

 

 

 

They probably just wouldn't recruit new soldiers till the new level was reached. Must be lots of soldiers leaving all the time.

Well.

What is Trump doing now? Get this guy out, quick!

6 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

What is Trump doing now? Get this guy out, quick!

doing what he was elected to do. Get used to it till 2024. 

Just now, Nyezhov said:

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't stop there. Withdraw the entire American contingent. South Korea is wealthy enough to defend itself.

Exactly. They are already a match for the NKs. A small contingent should remain in communications, logistics, intelligence etc but no combat troops waiting to die on the border for someone else.

 

Why not get Putin to replace them with Russki troops?!  If anyone can, Donald can make the deal.

 

16 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

no more western boys should die to defend South Korea.

 

How many western boys died defending South Korea? I mean after the end of the conflicts in 1953?

 

Soldier deaths in South Korea put spotlight on US military suicide crisis

 

He was one of at least nine 2nd Infantry Division soldiers — ages 18 to 32 — who died by suicide in nearly three years, from May 2016 to April 2019.

 

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/soldier-deaths-in-south-korea-put-spotlight-on-us-military-suicide-crisis-1.606963

5 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

Why not get Putin to replace them with Russki troops?!  If anyone can, Donald can make the deal.

 

What a boring, silly, childish post. Cant you guys give it a rest? Its sort of like going to get a nice Mocha on a Sunday morning, leaving your house in the sunshine and the birds are singing, a lazy Soi Dog eyes you with half closed lids, lady in a facemask, rubber boots and straw hat sweeping with a straw broom, and then, as you just thank the good Lord you are alive on a beautiful day and take a sip of your Mocha, some dude with pop eyes and a pencil neck starts screaming Trumptrumptrump did it, he is killing the world, rascistsexistrussiantoolukrainianextortiongrabthembythepussymichaelcohenvladstormytaxreturns!!!!.

 

Then he does it next week. Then you see him near the pork chop dude. Or the BTS entrance. In the lobby of your condo. Wearing an Orange Vest. In traffic. Always screaming nonsense. Over and over.

 

Constant yammering about the Greatest Orange Haired Evil Bad Man in All of History Who Even Gives Hitler and Stalin Lessons is reaally so declasse. Like pussy hats and #resistance. Life isnt a college campus, and Im speak for many here when I say that the constant TDS rants are as annoying as the cheap charlie whiny complaints about Thailand. Maybe there is a correlation.

 

Thanks for listening!

Kim love your ar.... too. Good boy. Kim will now dust off his grandfather’s invasion plan and ready his long range ballistic missiles to reach USA.

6 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Kim love your ar.... too. Good boy. Kim will now dust off his grandfather’s invasion plan and ready his long range ballistic missiles to reach USA.

That could be fun actually....

11 minutes ago, UncleMhee said:

That could be fun actually....

Wouldnt be much left of NK would there be? Nothing like a bit of a nuclear war to keep the population down.

Personally, I think they should all be pulled. It make zero sense to leave them there. South Korea should be able to handle this all on their own. No hard feelings. Relationship should be about weapons if requested for purchase, and training.

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

How many western boys died defending South Korea? I mean after the end of the conflicts in 1953?

 

Soldier deaths in South Korea put spotlight on US military suicide crisis

 

He was one of at least nine 2nd Infantry Division soldiers — ages 18 to 32 — who died by suicide in nearly three years, from May 2016 to April 2019.

 

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/soldier-deaths-in-south-korea-put-spotlight-on-us-military-suicide-crisis-1.606963

No surprise to me. I served and the military is full of bullies that think because they have rank they can make junior ranks life a misery. One of the reasons I left.

How much does South Korea spend on buying military weapons and planes a year from the US? One of the largest military spending countries in the world.

Beside, America needs Korean peninsula as much for logistic location under the nose of China and Russia.

And South Korea has completed nuclear technology unlike North Korea.

 

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

Constant yammering about the Greatest Orange Haired Evil Bad Man in All of History Who Even Gives Hitler and Stalin Lessons is reaally so declasse. Like pussy hats and #resistance. Life isnt a college campus, and Im speak for many here when I say that the constant TDS rants are as annoying as the cheap charlie whiny complaints about Thailand. Maybe there is a correlation.

AFter reading your entire post, you have nothing to say about South Korea, Korean war. Uncle Joe giving those T34's and PRC promising ground troop support back in 50. So They Invade the South

Which leads us to over half a century of nut case behavior. Do you remember the bombing in Rangoon? It just keeps going on.

Famines

Killing brothers in airports with VX 

nukes and missiles over Japan.

You have nothing to say regarding any of this and never have.

Not that I thought you would or cared but great post .... if what you are doing is trying to do is SAY nothing about the real issue and deflect any criticism. Hey Republicans for Putin does have a ring, why not come out of the closet?!

You are the proverbial one trick pony. However it's Job.    

17 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

AFter reading your entire post, you have nothing to say about South Korea, Korean war. Uncle Joe giving those T34's and PRC promising ground troop support back in 50. So They Invade the South

Which leads us to over half a century of nut case behavior. Do you remember the bombing in Rangoon? It just keeps going on.

Famines

Killing brothers in airports with VX 

nukes and missiles over Japan.

You have nothing to say regarding any of this and never have.

Not that I thought you would or cared but great post .... if what you are doing is trying to do is SAY nothing about the real issue and deflect any criticism. Hey Republicans for Putin does have a ring, why not come out of the closet?!

You are the proverbial one trick pony. However it's Job.    

English is clearly not your first language, and that entire post is intellectually muddled anyway

3 minutes ago, car720 said:

The good thing about Trump is that sooner or later someone else will take his place and then we won't have to hear about him any more.

Wurd that G, 2024 can't come fast enough.

1 hour ago, Eye4you said:

How much does South Korea spend on buying military weapons and planes a year from the US? One of the largest military spending countries in the world.

Beside, America needs Korean peninsula as much for logistic location under the nose of China and Russia.

And South Korea has completed nuclear technology unlike North Korea.

 

To add, it's not a bad business for America

"And South Korea has completed nuclear technology unlike North Korea."

Eh? I think you got the countries backwards. N Korea has the nukes, in case you missed that

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't stop there. Withdraw the entire American contingent. South Korea is wealthy enough to defend itself.

and also get out of any other country that is not owned by USA.

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't stop there. Withdraw the entire American contingent. South Korea is wealthy enough to defend itself.

Maybe officially ending the war, first, should be a consideration.

3 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

English is clearly not your first language, and that entire post is intellectually muddled anyway

Mmm.... if you failed to understand that post, then it was/is deliberate on your part... or.... English is not your first language either

Wait a second,i thought the popular chant was " Freedom isn't free" how does it apply here ?

I disagree I would like to see n Korea 100% blockaded by sea the country flooded with cell phones unlocked so n Korea sees for themselves how the rest of the world lives let them rip that monster to shreads to me this looks like another victory for little Kim and Putin in his quest to destroy nato a knife in the guts to our allies in the area +you are still paying for the men and equipment nope just another trump fiasco in the making

5 hours ago, Emdog said:

"And South Korea has completed nuclear technology unlike North Korea."

Eh? I think you got the countries backwards. N Korea has the nukes, in case you missed that

North Korea may have a nuke or two but South Korea has an advanced, sophisticated nuclear technology that can put together if needed but they are not interested being nuked armed.

Japan is nuclear free country, but they have all the components ready to put together to be nuclear armed in no time if they decide.

 

The common thing about dictators is paranoid about their lives and strong desire to survive. Kim is not interested in war with South Korea because he knows his old military is no match for the South. He makes noise to survive in his regime from his people.

 

And last, it bugs hell out Chinese that America is right under their nose.

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course the US should be ready to use nukes to defend South Korea if the Chinese were to get involved.

Other than that back stop, which should be enough to keep the Chinese away, no more western boys should die to defend South Korea. Other than stopping the communists taking over the peninsula, what did the deaths of so many western boys accomplish? It's not even a war that people think about now.

So (for fiscal reasons) withdraw troops that are maintaining the peace and load the bikes just in case.

 

Go to the top of the class.