The Death of an Alliance, Part VIII 1/2
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The Korean government is ruling out “renegotiation” of its “tenative” cost-sharing agreement with the USFK, which is no surprise given the likely consequence of losing face to the Yankees just four weeks before the next bi-election. I’m suspicous about the use of the term “tentatively agreed” in the Herald story. Either there’s a binding agreement that was authorized for public release or there wasn’t; if the latter is true, it’s a negotiation, not a renegotiation. Perhaps a reader can fill in the blank, but this quote from a Korean employees’ union leader, quoted in the Chosun Ilbo, suggests that there was no meeting of the minds here:
The USFK notified us of the layoff by the end of September at around 3:45 p.m. Thursday saying because the Korean government has unconditionally slashed its share of the forces upkeep cost, the present manpower cannot be maintained.
One party saying “that’s my final offer” is far from an agreement, tentative or otherwise. And what have we here, in yesterday’s Joongang Ilbo, regarding LTG Campbell’s announcement of the layoffs?
The announcement was unusual because Seoul and Washington have not finalized a new cost-sharing accord. The two sides will meet in Hawaii from Monday through Thursday for a final session.
It seems apparent enough to me that we’re talking about the same negotiation, in which case, the Herald’s characterization that there’s a “tentative” agreement to “renegotiate” is misleading. It sounds like “impasse” would be a much better description.
And don’t miss the entire interview with the Korean employees’ union leader, who holds forth on his government’s estangement of the United States. He’s threatening a strike. While his analysis demonstrates a good grasp of the obvious and an understandable effort to protect of the interests he was chosen to serve, you can also see that ultimately, his interests are deeply contradictory to those of American taxpayers.
Someone has to pay those workers out of a tightening budget. What if, given the needs of a declining mission, they’re simply not needed?
UPDATE: How bad have things gotten? The USFK is scrapping the war reserve ammo stockpile on which South Korea depends for most of its wartime needs. Korea is being offered the stockpile for sale at a fraction of its market value. The alternative is shipping it back to the United States.
UPDATE II: More unilateralism from Outer Koguryo:
For the first time in 15 years, South Korea’s financial share in maintaining the U.S. military in the country has been cut. “Korea’s contribution will be 8.9 percent, or 60.9 billion won ($60 million), lower than last year,” Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said yesterday.
South Korea has been covering part of the cost of keeping U.S. forces on the peninsula since 1991. Seoul’s contribution has risen steadily from $150 million in 1991 to $622 million last year. The 2004 amount translates to roughly 747 billion won, while Seoul will pay 686 billion won in Korean won this year, according to Mr. Yoon. “If it becomes difficult to maintain U.S. troops in Korea because of a funding shortfall, the U.S. government can renegotiate the amount two years from now,” Mr. Yoon said.
And there you have it. “Tough shit” obviously doesn’t translate into Korean. I suspect the Chinese will find a way to express the idea adequately.