Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lastat06513]

redbird wrote

[Kiddirts]

[Wangja]

As long as two-thirds of the "Axis of Evil" remain, GWB will stay parked next door.

[Vince]

Thanks for your replies, everybody.

From the press I've seen, I too get the impression that many South Koreans would accuse the US of unjustly abandoning it and even setting it up for invasion. I've tactfully bounced a few such ideas off some of my Korean students, and they didn't seem very comfortable when I started skirting the possibility of the US pulling out of SK or reforming immigration to end the anchor baby practice.

In conversations when I could use other countries as an example, I shared my traditional conservative American perspectives. It was clear that the Korean students generally didn't see American soldiers as sons and daughters of ordinary people, or that Americans might, like most other countries, want to tend to their own backyard and leave other people's problems to them. I was satisfied to see them grow to the realization that it's absurd for them to put their eggs in the US-dependence basket.

I agree that US troops won't be pulling out while the neocons are in control. I hope that situation (the neocons and US presence in S. Korea) changes soon.

[jinglejangle]

A couple replys. I have not the imagination to come up with my own thoughts I fear. Only to critique others.

Matt Woodford, I think you underestimate the ROK's current weapons programs. They manufacture a lot of very high tech major weapons systems, as well as a lot of lesser equipment.
They have either the first or s2nd largest shipbuilding industry in the world as well, so to manufacture warships, they have a lot of the expensive end of setup out of the way already. I think that the ROK is probably exporting high end warships rather than importing, and I believe that most of their very capabloe navy is homegrown.

I would appreciate anyone who can shed more facts supported light on this subject. I know little for certain.

Either way, very few nations build a lot of their own stuff nowadays. The ROK wouldn't so much have to develop high tech weapons as to buy them on the open market.

Redbird, right on man! What you said flits through my head now and again, but I always lose it in the frustration of things. Thanks for the reminder.

As for the latest stuff about Nukes and the Axis of Evil.
I think you are dead wrong. One or two DPRK nukes is not likely to stop Bush from attacking, if the military establishment is convinced they can take out most of the advanced delivery platforms before the DPRK can launch a strike. I suspect they can, although I really don't know. Remember, before those missles would be launched, they would need orders. And the US is really good at blowing up C4I stuff, as we've seen before in Bosnia and the Gulf. Therefore the bombers and killers might have longer to blow stuff up than you might think.

But that's all long shopt spoeculation on my part.

What I don't feel is long shot at all, is that Bush is unlikely to obtain support for an invasion from either the ROK or Japan anytime soon. Unlikely as in I am unlikely to suddenly grow a 2nd *beep* anytime soon, however useful it might prove.
It seems to me much more likely that Bush would have to launch more limited war. ie. an air war, possibly invading with mobile units like USMC and Airbourne, but probably limited to SOF.
I don't think there is a chance in hell of him getting the ROK to allow the use of ROK territory for a stageing ground unless he can provoke the DPRK into attacking.

Bear in mind, I don't think he will, but as long as he's in office, I would personally (when I get to be a civilian again, regard the complete no warning redeployment of forces here to anywhere other than Iraq as a sign to go back for an extended visit in the states.

But I wouldn't worry too much ya'll. We're pretty thouroughly tied down in Iraq right now. The most I could see would be an airstrike against the Yangbyon or whatever reactor complex, and I doubt even that will happen.

[Alias]

I remember last year when one Kyopo wrote a letter to the Korean Herald saying that if the US were to withdraw from South Korean then the US should have to pay for SK's increased defence spending.

He felt this was the US's responisbility because they were responsible for the two Korea's being two separate countries. His reasoning behind this was that the US signed the armistice in 1953 and not South Korean representatives.

[jinglejangle]

[matthewwoodford]

[lastat06513]

matthewwoodford~~The context that the US would use the weapons in any pre-emptive strike is almost unheard of, though is not "off the table". Also the US and SK have decon units for military and civil use to clean up the left over fall-out, though I must agree with you, it won't do us any good if we're already ashes.

I just found another interesting article about the USFK.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503280043.html

It seems they are now being percieved as shake-down artists who extort money and "services" from local communities.
How does the US put up with this?

I was a soldier. I can honestly say that about 50% or more of the career minded will end up doing at least 4 to 5 tours in Korea during their
20-year career. On some bases, it is a rotating cycle every 2 years to come here. The only other way to get out of it will be to a DECA [forgot the spelling] statement (declination of assignment), which means the end of their career, a bar to re-enlistment and in some isolated cases, a loss of some benefits. So, alot of them don't want to risk losing everything they spent years earning.
Or volunteer for an overseas tour to Germany (a one-way ticket to Iraq, I now hear).
The soldiers coming to Korea are mostly first-termers fresh out of training who have not been outside their own hometown let alone the US. So, they get a distorted picture of Korea.

But many of the mid-term soldiers try to avoid Korea like the pleague. For women, alot of them just get pregnant (instead overseas bar, as well as a way to get of the army).

This was a famous case at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.

A motor sergeant found out he was on orders to come to Korea. But he was having difficulties with his marriage and wanted to file for a "hardship" deferral, but was denied. He went AWOL for 6 months before turning himself in to be processed for discharge. Asked why he did it, he replied "hey....at least it got me out of going back to Korea...." He went to say that in the span of 21 years, he was sent to Korea over 15 times.

I don't to make this sound like a common thing, but alot of married couples that seperate after a spouse comes to Korea, tend to start divorce proceedings while they are here.

If the Koreans want the US out, by all means, let them go. They would be doing everyone a favor by letting go to a more friendlier country like the philippines or even Indonesia.

[zappadelta]

[rapier]

This is the site of a soldier at Kunsan Air Force base- some revealing reading on the whole military standpoint, as well as information on anti-US protests etc:

http://www.kalaniosullivan.com/KunsanAB/8thFW/Howitwasb11dx0.html

[TheUrbanMyth]

[dreamscape]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[quote]Kim Tae-hyo, politics professor at Sungkyunkwan University, said yesterday, "Ultimately, I mean after reunification, it is partly right for Korea to ally with China. But currently, Korea has more to lose if it openly declares such a foreign policy."

[redbird]

[quote="Ya-ta Boy"][quote]Kim Tae-hyo, politics professor at Sungkyunkwan University, said yesterday, "Ultimately, I mean after reunification, it is partly right for Korea to ally with China. But currently, Korea has more to lose if it openly declares such a foreign policy."

I betcha that in 20 years, some nationalist Americans will be blaming other Americans for "losing Korea" to China.