US Troops Reduction, Relocation in S.Korea to be Discussed in April

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 19, 2003

US Troops Reduction, Relocation in S.Korea to be Discussed in April

South Korea and the United States will begin talks in April on reducing and the repositioning of US troops in South Korea, Defense Minister Lee Jun told a parliament hearing on Wednesday.

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South Korea and the United States will begin talks in April on reducing and the repositioning of US troops in South Korea, Defense Minister Lee Jun told a parliament hearing on Wednesday.

"Washington's position is that the United States Forces Korea (USFK) should be reorganized around naval and air force power to provide support in contingencies, and to relocate ground forces in South Korea," Lee was quoted by national news agency Yonhap as saying.

The role of the USFK will gradually shift from that of countering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s possible threat to maintaining regional stability, added the defense minister.

"We intend to discuss redefining the role, size and structure of the USFK with a long-term strategic vision," he said, adding "We will conduct our talks in a way that contributes to the national interests of both countries as allies."

USFK readjustment issues have surfaced as part of the Bush administration's review of US military strategy around the world, according to Lee.

The South Korean military capabilities have grown to enable the country's military to play a more active role in national defense, Lee said to the lawmakers, but adding, "The timing and scale of reduction and repositioning are not yet decided."

South Korea's local media have reported that during lawmaker Chyung Dai-chul's visit to the United States, US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had mentioned the issue, but the President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's envoy denied such report.

At present, the United States stations 37,000 soldiers in the Asian country as a symbol of US-South Korean military alliance.

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