There has been a lot of talk about the transfer or wartime control. First, the Uri party and this administration were rabid about it; wanting it to happen asap. They espoused it as a "matter of sovereignty", and that it was Korea's right to manage it's own affairs.
Tough to argue with that. Unfortunately a Nuclear Test last month put the shivers into everyone. Now you hear talk in the halls of the National Assembly of a "backing off" of the demand. Unfortunately for them, the US has already seen it's "out" . U.S. Commander General B.B. Bell is quoted as saying:
"Within the next three to six years, we will stand down this time-honored command and make the transition to independent and complementary ROK [Republic of Korea] and U.S. national commands," and that the transfer was "not a cause for concern, but a cause for celebration."
You should know, that anytime a soldier is being that nice about withdrawing troops, it means that they are done. Basically, the fight has gone out of them. Maybe it's the reduced training time and area, maybe the anti-American protests, or maybe it's just the lack of four distinct seasons. Whatever it is, it seems that the US is itching for an exit rout from the current situation.
I can't blame them. The truth is, they are unappreciated here. However, for my own safety, and for the future of Gimchi everywhere, I ask the US to stick around for at least awhile longer. There will be a change of administrations here soon, and I can already smell the cleaner air.
2 comments:
This issue goes far beyond sovereignty and North Korea. Unfortunately for South Korea, the timing makes it about those issues for the time being. The ROK, while a member of the Successful Democracy Club, is nevertheless finally having the public discussion about where it fits into other subcategories of the world - i.e. who's the family and who can we trust?. China is their biggest trading partner, has the more ethnic Koreans than any country except the Motherland, and certainly shares more in common culturally with Korea than the United States does.
Even more, as Asia's power increases relative to that of the US, Korea and other Asian states will see where their interests lie and are best served and will gravitate toward a stronger Asian identity. I don't think that will take the shape of an EU anytime soon, but the subconscious Asian identity will certainly continue to grow and strengthen. The Cold War made for some strange bedfellows and Korea is by no means the first country to have this internal dialogue since 11-9-89.
Now, whether they're capable of taking on the neighborhood bullies by themselves - especially now - is another pot of gimchi entirely.
Lack of four distinct seasons? In Korea?
aaron:
Doesn't it seem that Koreans have just about as much in common with Americans as they do with Chinese? I mean it's a new relationship, but so many Koreans have studied in the US, speak or try to speak English with American as the prime dialect, eat American food even if it is Mickey D's and Colonel Chicken, US-style pizza, Coke and Bud. They know our celebs by name - some of them. I'd say that Koreans have a lot in common with Americans culturally, by now. What's more it's generally more acceptable, as I understand it, for a Korean woman to marry an American as opposed to a Chinese. And indeed if an American woman marries a Korean man, he may even be heightened, socially, whereas marrying a Chinese would be just whatever...
What do you think?
Post a Comment