대만처럼 자주국방에 의존해야 하는 시대가 도래한 것 같은데

갑작스럽게 한국상황이 변하는 것이 좀 걱정은 되네요…

US S Korea tripwire role ‘obsolete’

From correspondents in Washington

May 19, 2004

THE "tripwire" role long played by US troops along the demilitarised zone in South Korea is now obsolete, contributing to Washington’s decision to redeploy some US troops there to Iraq, US Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz said today.

"We have moved troops off of the DMZ, where frankly, they were performing nothing except, a kind of useless – and indeed I would say counterproductive – tripwire function," Wolfowitz said.

South Korea is seeking assurances that the 4000 troops will return once their Iraq mission is concluded and has vigorously opposed any reduction in US troops, finding comfort that the presence of US troops in the region virtually guarantees immediate US military involvement if North Korea were to invade the South.

Wolfowitz told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today that changes were already in the works, reflecting that "we have already made some adjustments to our posture in Korea".

The decision to remove troops defending South Korea underscores strains that have been placed on the US Army as it fights insurgents in Iraq.