Is it “on the table” during Trump-Kim talks — or not?
When it comes to the future of the relationship between the United States and North Korea, it may not be only the future of nuclear weapons on the table: It could also be 28,000 U. S. soldiers stationed in South Korea as United States Forces Korea (USFK).
The presence of these U. S. troops in South Korea has long been a point of contention for North Korea, which argues they threaten its national security. In South Korea too U. S. troops are a politically divisive issue. Though many conservative South Koreans value their presence, there are many who would like to see them go.
What has really changed now, however, is there is a U. S. leader who has also repeatedly suggested that, in general, foreign nations that host U. S. troops should pay far more for their upkeep, or they should be withdrawn.
With the coming summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump likely to take place in just a few weeks, here is a rundown of the current positions on U. S. troops in South Korea for the three stakeholders.
North Korea
Historically, North Korea has demanded U. S. troops be withdrawn from South Korea. It has claimed annual drills the U. S. military conducts with the South Korean military were a pretext for invasion — an understandable position, as the drills have included mock “decapitation” attacks against North Korean leaders.
Some critics argue North Korea simply wants U. S. troops to leave the peninsula so Pyongyang can finally use its military against South Korea, either blackmailing it into concessions or even attempting to forcefully reunify the two Koreas. However, it is hard to imagine the North Korean army, even with its superior manpower, could easily overpower South Korea — or that the United States would not intervene, regardless of whether USFK had withdrawn or not.
What is noteworthy right now is Kim appears to have dropped his demand for U. S. forces to leave South Korea ahead of his summit with Trump. There was no hint of it in the joint declaration Kim signed with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in; indeed, Moon later told reporters North Korea was no longer insisting on U. S. troop withdrawal.
North Korea “is not making demands that the U. S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of the U. S. forces in Korea,” Moon said, according to the JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper. Instead, Moon said, North Korea was simply seeking an “end to the hostile policy” and a “guarantee of its security” in return for abandoning its nuclear and missile program.
It is not clear why Kim would have dropped this demand, and many are skeptical.
