CAMBRIDGE, England -- In the recent presidential election in South Korea, candidate Roh Moo Hyun played to the populist tune when he called for U.S. troops to leave the country. This was a response to the highly emotional popular reaction to the deaths of two South Korean girls who were accidentally run over by a U.S. military vehicle. The U.S. military court that tried the soldiers involved acquitted them.
After Roh won the election, various American leaders reacted to the anti-U.S. demonstrations in Seoul by saying that the United States might decide to withdraw its 37,000 troops from South Korea. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been reported as saying the U.S. "can withdraw its forces if the South Korean people so desire."
Since his victory, however, Roh has backtracked. On several occasions, he has stressed the need to continue the alliance with the U.S. He is also suggesting that he is more comfortable with the 37,000 U.S. troops in South Korea remaining where they are.