In a telephone interview with OhMyNews, Hwang Myong-ch’eol, head of the Central Committee for the Korean Vietnam War Veteran’s Association, said that, “speaking just as one citizen, I can agree in theory with the dispatch of forces to Iraq. When you take into account the post-war reconstruction business in oil-rich Iraq, there’s a national interest there,” but he stressed that “sending combat troops is not an easy matter.”
Hwang said that he does not want the children of those who suffered in Vietnam to know the same kind of pain. “Will the American and Korean governments, which never apologized to the victims of Agent Orange, compensate those who fight in Iraq? After the government looks into the problem of compensation, the government must make a decision about the troop dispatch prudently.”
In particular, Hwang showed concern for the effects certain American weapons like depleted uranium shells could have on Korean soldiers fighting in Iraq. “The Americans will test various kinds of weapons, including depleted uranium shells. The effects of these weapons appear after the war, and serious problems like those encountered with Agent Orange will occur,” Hwang predicted.
Discussing some of the differences between Vietnam and what can be expected in Iraq, Hwang explains, “during the Vietnam War, Korea aquired foreign currency as a result, but in Iraq, we will have to participate at our own expense. Plus, unlike Vietnam, which like Korea is in Asia, Iraq’s geography and climate is much different, so it will be difficult for Korean soldiers to adjust.” Nevertheless, Hwang goes on to say that the two wars have much in common. “Since there is a guerilla war unfolding, there isn’t a huge difference between the situations in the two nations. Like in Vietnam, once you start sending troops, you can’t help but continue to send more troops. You won’t know when the war will end. In Vietnam, it started with one or two years, but when it finally finished, eight years and eight months had gone.”
Finishing up his telephone interview, Hwang said, “The debt we owed to the United States was already paid in full during Vietnam,” and “the government must take into account the national interest and the pain of the combat soldiers and make a final decision.”
The second half of the OhMyNews piece is a talk with director of the Peaceful Unification Citizens’ Solidarity Group and Vietnam War vet Yun Young-jeon, which is also of interest and I will translate a little later - but now, my day job awaits.
6 Comments
Hwang said, “The debt we owed to the United States was already paid in full during Vietnam,”
Just how many soldiers did the ROK send to Vietnam?
No, Korea has not come close to the price paid by US to maintain SK’s liberty. We really need to pull our troops out of there as those troops can be more efficiently utilized elsewhere. I have relatives over there but hey, you want to be free be my guest.
Agent Orange was at least an active pesticide, a poison. I can believe that it had ill effects; the idea is plausible. (I’m not familiar enough with the science to judge.)
Depleted uranium is not. It’s less radioactive than natural uranium ore (hence “depleted”), less radioactive than even the trace amounts of radioactive calcium in each human body.
Well, if any SK debt to the US has been paid in full, then it’s probably best for the US to withdraw all their troops from SK. Hey, the debt has been paid. It’s that simple. The US should just take their troops out and announced that all interactions between NK and SK are the Koreans business only. The accounts have been settled so what ever the Koreans decide to do amoung themselves is none of the business of the US. I got no problem with that.
At least Fox has intelligent anchors for the most part. Most of them can ask intelligent questions on fast breaking events without the teleprompter. A significant number are lawyers, which at least implies a significant ability for critical thinking - as opposed to a major in journalism. Hannity is a disappointment, because he is not smart enough for the position. Colmes (the most likeable liberal on TV) is much sharper - just wrong much of the time. O’Reilly is an idiot, but what do you expect for a guy whose main credential is former school principal?
Regarding Agent Orange. AO is seriously overhyped. There is no good scientific evidence that it is harmful. AO’s supposed harm comes from its tiny levels of dioxins, which themselves have greatly overhyped toxicity in humans (they’re much better at killing rats, however). AO compensation is a political, not a scientific issue. BTW… if I were to come down with any of a list of diseases, I would qualify for AO compensation. And since I have a chronic illness, I could certainly proclaim, like many, that it was caused by AO. But the science says otherwise.
madne0: South Korea sent about 300,000 troops to Vietnam during the course of the war - the second largest contribution to the effort there behind the United States. As much as I bitch about Korea being a crappy ally, their assistance during the Vietnam War should never be forgotten.
As a geopolitical realist, I don’t like to talk in terms of “debt” or “gratitude.” Ultimately, countries do what’s in their national interests. Does Korea “owe” us something? Perhaps. Does the United States have a “responsibility” for South Korea? Perhaps. But one shouldn’t base foreign policy decisions on sentiment. And that goes for both parties, i.e. the US should not feel obliged to continue guaranteeing South Korea’s security, and South Korea shouldn’t feel obliged to contribute to peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Those decisions must be made based on what’s good for the national interest.
Coincidentally, I personally feel that South Korea DOES have an interest in sending troops to Iraq. Korea is almost entirely dependent on Middle Eastern oil, its companies have skills to offer in the post-war reconstruction, and like most of the free world, Seoul should want to see a stable, democratic, and prosperous Iraq emerge from the post-war turmoil. Moreover, this is Seoul’s chance to show Washington that the US-ROK alliance is something worth maintaining. South Koreans have been bitching about being treated as “equals” - this is their opportunity to prove that their nation is more than a protectorate.