U.S. Considers Postponing Reduction of Forces at Request of Korea

The United States will seriously ponder the Korean government’s request to delay a cut in the number of U.S. troops in Korea, said U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless on October 1.

At the reception party for the commemoration of Korea’s Armed Forces Day and Foundation Day held in the South Korean Embassy in Washington D.C., Lawless said that the United States is well aware of the South Korean government’s concern over the timing of the pullout of one-third of the U.S. forces in Korea. Lawless, who is also U.S. Deputy for the Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative (FOTA), said that both countries have narrowed their differences on the issue of timing. However, he refused to answer when asked by how much the United States Forces in Korea (USFK) will be reduced.

The United States had planned to pull out 12,500 U.S. soldiers by the end of next year. However, the South Korean government asked the United States to postpone the reduction for more than one year for security reasons.

Soon-Taek Kwon maypole@donga.com