HONOLULU -- Why is the United States pulling its forces away from the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean Peninsula? Will the lack of a "tripwire" mean a reduced U.S. commitment to South Korea's security? Or, is Washington moving its forces out of harm's way in anticipation of a preemptive strike against the North's nuclear facilities?
This is a brief sampling of the type questions being asked by South Korean newspapers, in Internet chat rooms, and among security specialists and laypersons alike. They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the recently announced U.S.-South Korean force restructuring agreement, whose stated goal is "to enhance deterrence and security on the Korean Peninsula and improve the combined defense."
Glaring headlines about "U.S. Pulling Troops from the DMZ" aside, a careful reading of the joint statement from the second "Future of the ROK-U.S. Alliance Policy Initiative" talks reveals that little, other than joint planning, will take place immediately and that any consolidation of U.S. forces will "take careful account of the political, economic and security situation on the Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," a caveat lifted directly from the joint statement signed last month by U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun during their Washington summit.