Changing world, static alliance

After a half-century, the South Korea-U.S. alliance began to fray as it no longer reflected South Korea's economic success and the subsequent changes in its international status. The alliance also failed to reflect changes in the South Korean public's awareness, in international affairs and in U.S. foreign and military policies. Experts here group the problems in the alliance under three main headings.

Status of Forces Agreement. The candlelight vigils that sprang up throughout the peninsula this winter channeled a public anger over Seoul and Washington's reluctance to address the problems associated with the pact governing U.S. forces stationed here, many South Koreans said. The two countries revised the agreement in January 2000, but did not specify details of how to apply jurisdiction over criminal cases involving U.S. servicemen here. Thus, South Korean authorities were excluded from the initial investigation of the June accident that killed two Korean school girls struck by a U.S. military armored vehicle during a routine exercise.

Without taking part in the initial investigation, South Korean authorities were not able to verify whether the death was a case of simple negligence or an intentional homicide. That also led to poor explanations to the public about the cause of the accident and how the case was handled. An enraged public demanded that the Status of Forces Agreement be revised. Under the current pact, the United States has the jurisdiction over criminal cases arising when U.S. servicemen are on duty.

Experts, however, said revising the pact is practically impossible. The United States has signed similar agreements with 80 countries, and it has never yielded jurisdiction to the host country in criminal cases committed by U.S. servicemen on duty unless the crimes were intentional.

"It is feasible and realistic to revise some unfair rules of operating and applying the agreement," Nam Chang-hui, international politics professor at Inha University, suggested. "Allowing Korean investigative authority to attend the initial investigation and detaining suspects involved in serious crimes for inquiry are possible modifications to the current agreement."

Relocation of U.S. bases. South Korea and the United States agreed in 1990 to move Yongsan Garrison out of its current location of central Seoul. The U.S. forces asked Seoul in 1993 to cover $9.5 billion of relocation expenses, and the government abandoned the plan due to the expense.

Relocation of the garrison emerged as a hot issue again in last January after Korean complaints about the U.S. plan to build apartment complexes on the Yongsan base. Hoping to end the decades of resentment over the U.S. forces here, Seoul began negotiation with the United States Forces Korea to move the garrison outside Seoul.

"We will report to the president about possible sites and building plans," said a National Defense Ministry source. "We will finalize the relocation plan before the end of June."

The ministry now estimates that it will cost about $3 billion to move the garrison.

Operational control of the South Korean military.

"Getting back the wartime operational control authority from the United States Forces Korea will be the eventual resolution of putting down anti-American sentiment here," an official of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command said.

Experts noted that there are preconditions that South Korea must meet before the United States will transfer the wartime operational control authority on the peninsula.

The South Korean military must secure combat power on its own, military experts said, but the reality is that it is still far from self-defense capability. The Ministry of National Defense estimated that at least $14 billion to $25.9 billion is necessary to replace the United States Forces Korea if it withdraws completely from the peninsula.

In addition, military experts noted, the value of intelligence assets belonging to the United States military, such as surveillance satellites, U2 reconnaissance aircraft and communications equipment, is impossible to convert into money.

In order to recover wartime operational control authority over the South Korean military, Seoul must reinforce and modernize its troops. The United States then would consider phasing out its infantry and reorganizing its military with a focus on marines and air force, the experts said, in an attempt to redress the outdated South Korea-U.S. military alliance.

myoja@joongang.co.kr

Kim Min-seok