Current Situation of U.S. Armed Forces Stationed in South Korea(2005)  

         Green Korea United

 

Background

Korea is known as the last divided nation in the world with its symbolic D.M.Z.(Demilitarized Zone) whereas North Korea' s nuclear weapons development is regarded as a global threat. As this reality reflects, the Korean peninsula is geopolitically significant in terms of U.S. domination and its military strategy in the Asia Pacific region. There are 101 bases with 33,000 soldiers occupying 11,090,000§³ land area in Korea since 1945(2004). In spite of its small size, Korea and has a formidable number of U.S. bases. The ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement was concluded in 1953 and it became the legal basis for U.S. armed forces stationed in South Korea.

Size of the Forces(Territory and Facilities)

- Number of bases

- Base Structure Report, DoD, 2004 : In total 101 bases / 59.976 acres(24,271 ha)

        - Green Korea United & Coalition Movement for Reclaiming Land occupied by US Troops, 2004 : More than 94 bases

- Korean Department of Defense, 2002 : In total 92 bases / 24,617 ha

- Number of buildings: In total 7,235

- Due to the Land Partnership Plan(LPP), U.S. military bases will be reorganized into 23 bases by 2011.

 

As can be seen, it is difficult to produce an exact figure because it differs according to various sources.

 

Main Issues

Since the U.S forces were first stationed in Korea, the U.S. military has had substantial political, economic, social and environmental effects on Korean society.

 

1. Environmental Pollution

The number of environmental accident occurring keeps increasing over a short period.  Particularly during the late 90s and early 2000, most of the oil and gas stations were involved in oil leakage accidents because of old pipelines and lack of caution.

 

Environemntal pollution from USFK(Since 1990-2005)

- Oil leakage accidents : 50 

- Noise-related damages : 8

- Hazardous heavy-metal contamination and waste disposal: 4

- Water pollution at the base: 5

- Others : 5                                  - Total : 77

(Reference : Green Korea United)

For half a century, Maehyangri villagers have lived in the vicinity of a bombing training site. Maehyangri villagers are being killed and found ill and their source of livelihood is being destroyed.

So far, 11 people have lost their lives in military accidents. Green Korea United discovered that 5.37mg/kg of arsenic, 13 times the average figure of Korean soil, was found at the bombing range. Cadmium was found to be 37 times higher, copper 13 times, and lead 145 times higher than average. The land of Maehyangri is highly contaminated with heavy metals.

The U.S. transferred the management right of Maehyangri Range to the Korean forces in November 2003 and suggested that the range be used jointly.  The Korean National Defense Ministry made a public statement that it will close the range in response to growing complaints by the residents, but it proves to be difficult to seek an alternative bombing practice range.  This issue is to be resolved by August 2005. Referred to as the Korean version of Vieques in Puerto Rico, the closing down of Maehyanri Range is a noticeable achievement of the residents¡¯ movement; nevertheless, the issue of recovering the much damaged land in the future remains to be seen.

2. Clean up the Base ! 

According to the LPP and the U.S. forces relocation plan, the U.S. troops will pull out from more than 34 bases the respective land will be recovered.

Most of the areas to be returned cover training facilities which have mostly been abandoned by the U.S. troops. Until now, the USFK have just been holding on that land to prohibit Korean people¡¯s access.

We can¡¯t help asking ourselves the following question: From the environmental perspective, what if the returned land have serious pollution problem? We do not know how much money it is needed for the necessary restoration of the polluted area. We might not even be able to build a house or a kindergarten for children on the land in question.

According to the new environmental clause inserted in SOFA in 2001, the U.S. military must assume the responsibility of dealing with any pollution found by a joint investigation of the two parties. However, this joint investigation cannot be counted on because most of the information related to the U.S. military bases is not made public. At the same time, it is impossible to make the U.S. military accountable for any pollution that is found after the withdrawal according to the SOFA, so a verifiable pre-assessment and restoration must be carried out successively.

Koreans are campaigning actively for the recovery of a clean land and transforming it into a green and peaceful area. As regards, Green Korea United calls for the following:

 - Revision of the agreement by the SOFA US-ROK Joint Committee on prohibiting the Korean government from making public any information regarding the American soldiers under the command of the Korean military without prior approval of the U.S. forces;

 - Making the U.S. forces accountable for any environmental consequences in the areas surrounding the military bases.

 So before returning or closing down the military bases, a reliable environmental inspection should be implemented first and the results should be made public to Korean society. The responsibility on the part of the U.S. forces should not just end with returning the bases, but instead they should also take care of cleaning up and restoring the base areas.

 

3. Crime & Human Rights

Crime committed by American soldiers is one of the most serious social problems found today in Korea. With each base, prostitution and other kinds of black markets start to thrive in the local community. Among 51,998 crimes committed by American soldiers that happened from 1967 to 2002, in only 512 (1.2%) cases did the Korean government exercise jurisdiction.

In June 2002, two middle school girls were killed by a U.S. military orbit vehicle that was transporting a temporary bridge in Yang-Ju, Kyoung-gi Province. However, the U.S. military court declared the American soldier who drove the vehicle "not guilty," and Korean citizens were enraged. They started candlelight protests and called for the government to carry out the following three slogans: "Apology from Bush," "Punishment of the American Soldier," and "Revision of   SOFA." The candlelight protests were aimed at reforming the unequal relationship between Korea and the U.S. The claims made at the candlelight protests were very timely with the then-upcoming presidential election, and so was repeated by all candidates.

Even though this was an accomplishment itelf, SOFA was not reformed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Justice were only able to regulate some minor rules about the application of SOFA. The death of the two girls made Koreans as well as global citizens aware of the importance of peace and human rights. Many people hoped that this accident would give the U.S. a chance for self-examination. Overall, the sacrifice of the two girls gave a chance to the world to re-examine the existence of U.S. troops in more than 50 countries, which led to escalating conflicts in the name of ¡°world peace¡± and ¡°eradication of terrorism.¡±

 

Current Issues - Reallocation of U.S. Troops in Korea

 The increased role of the USFK

 Reallocation of overseas U.S. troops, including in Korea, has been discussed for a long time under the U.S. world military strategy. On November 25, 2003 President Bush declared his will for overseas U.S. troop reallocation with U.S. allies. Under the Land Partnership Plan (LPP), the conventional U.S. bases will be reorganized into 23 bases by 2011 in Korea. Under this plan, U.S. troops in Korea acquired a role of a ¡°regional security ally,¡± which is to operate for Northeast Asian peace and security. To form a ¡°regional security ally,¡± military forces will be reduced by half and empowerment will be carried out primarily through the navy and air force.

In September 2004, Korea and the United States agreed to merge and abolish some U.S. military bases nationwide along with the Yongsan Garrison and relocate them to Pyeongtaek under the LPP.  The Pyeongtaek U.S. military bases are planned to be extended by 11,537,242§³ (1153ha) including the replacement site for Yongsan Garrison in Seoul.

The extension of Pyeongtaek U.S. military bases is based on the U.S. strategy to combine and close the U.S. military bases, which are scattered around 100 different places nationwide including the 2nd Division deployed close to the Armistice Line and to enhance the military capability of the U.S. Air Force and Navy. 

Pyeongtaek is a city with 360,000 residents, located at a place that is about one and a half hours drive from Seoul.  Already 3734 acres have been appropriated for US bases in Pyongtaek and the USFK need an additional 2851 acres.

Pyeongtaek faces China with the Yellow Sea in between Korea and China.  The city is a stronghold that can check China as well as North Korea by concentrating the Army, Navy and Air Force including the Air Force base, K-55, Army base Camp Humphreys and the Pyeongtaek Port used by Korean Forces. The United States deployed Patriot missiles in Gwangju Air Base and 10 Stealth missiles at Gunsan Air Base. The Paju Story Shooting Range, which is only 1 km away from the Armistice Line is being extended to a general training camp, and thus military tension against North Korea is heightened.  This site will not only be occupied by the USFK but also be used by American troops stationed in Guam for the purpose of training.

 

No more U.S. bases in Pyeongtaek! 

Transform Pyongtaek into a land of peace!

Pyeongtaek residents were organizing a candlelight vigil for 300 days up to February 8, 2005.  They are enraged at the situation that they should be driven out of their homes against their will due to extension of the U.S. military bases.  They are well aware of the fact that this move will threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula.   

The ordeals of Pyeongtaek residents began when Japan developed a military base during the colonial era and which continues its existence at the present in the form of U.S. military bases.  Not only sexual harrassment against women and violence directed at the residents took place, but also environmental damages such as oil leakage and noise have been caused. The planned site for extension is a vast and major rice field in Korea. There are many birds like wild ducks in the reservoir, which is called Pyeongtaek Lake. There is also a natural monument and brown hawk-owls were found to inhabit the site where the planned U.S. bases will be located.  However, the government is not conducting any ecological and cultural survey in this area.  Once the U.S. military base extension is confirmed in Pyeongtaek, birds whose habitat stretched over the vast rice paddies and reservoir as well as local farmers will be driven away.  The National Defense Ministry announced that land expropriation will be finished by 2005 for the U.S. army base extension plan, which in turn will be completed by 2008.   

On July 10^th, 10 thousand people gathered in Pyeongtaek to protest peacefully against the extension of the U.S. military bases. However, the Korean police exercised violence on the people and about 200 people were hurt in the process. The protest ended up rather unsuccessfully but nevertheless it publicized the unjust case of Pyoentaek nationwide.