Seoul and Washington to Strengthen Military Alliance at SCM

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Seoul and Washington to Strengthen Military Alliance at SCM

South Korea and the United States are expected to discuss changes occurring on the Korean Peninsula following the historic summit in Pyongyang at the upcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) this week, the Ministry of Defense said on Monday.

"U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen will arrive on Tuesday to attend the 32nd SCM in Seoul, " a ministry official said.

Both sides are expected to share understanding for a stronger South Korea-U.S. alliance inspite of recent developments between Seoul and Pyongyang.

This year's SCM comes in the wake of changes in relations between the two Koreas following the historic summit meeting between President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.

The thaw in inter-Korean relations has raised questions about the role of the 37,000 U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula.

Radical South Koreans have recently aggresively called for the withdrawal of the U.S. forces in the wake of complaints surrounding a U.S. Air Force shooting range and the release of toxic chemicals from an American military base.

President Kim Dae-jung, however, has said that the recent easing of tensions between the two Koreas would not have been possible without solid national security in the South, which is based on the military alliance with the U.S..




by Lee Soo-jeong

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