U.S.-North Korea Dialogue May Alter U.S. Forces Plans

WASHINGTON － Stephen Bosworth, former U.S. Ambassador to Seoul, said Monday that U.S. Forces Korea could undergo structural changes, such as a reduction and movement of forces, depending on progress made in negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

Mr. Bosworth spoke at a seminar held by the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration adopted during a landmark summit meeting between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang last June.

At the seminar, Mr. Bosworth emphasized the need for high-level talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

During a conversation with JoongAng Ilbo following the seminar, Mr. Bosworth said he is optimistic about the dialogue to be held between the North and the United States.

He said that putting the reduction of the North's conventional forces on the agenda is meant to strengthen inter-Korean dialogue on the issue and that the United States would probably not make it a precondition to negotiations.

Mr. Bosworth said that to get the North to comply on the issue Washington will have to closely cooperate with Seoul. He dismissed the possibility of negotiating changes in the nature of the U.S. forces in Korea with Pyongyang.

He said the issue of American troops on the peninsula is between South Korea and the U.S., and if they agree to a change in the structure of U.S. forces then it will happen. He added that eliminating the immediate missile threat of North Korea does not necessarily diminish the need for U.S. missile defense because the shield would take many years to build and new threats could arise.

by Kim Jin