1. Korean companies stand a very good chance making out like bandits in post-reconstruction Iraq.

2. Korea, as a member of the Free World, has a duty and an interest in helping Iraq become a stable, functioning democracy.

3. ROK military . . . and Special Forces . . . [are] concerned about the health of the US-ROK alliance.

4. They may see this as a good opportunity to give their men and women some experience in the field.

5. And assuming that they perform well . . . , it’ll raise the respect level other regional actors have for the ROK military.

6. [For] the officers and non-officers volunteering for Iraq, this is the career opportunity of a lifetime, and one many professional military men in Korea are loath to pass up.

How do these measure up? The first would be pounced on by the left, though I don’t know how it would go over among the Korean public. The second is idealistic, and I’d go for that, but I wonder if Koreans will believe it (and I wonder if it’ll work anyway). The third is the one that I’ve already suggested is weak. The fifth is interesting — use Iraq to send a message to Kim Jong Il? — but the U.S. is already being criticized by Koreans for doing this very thing and thereby raising the anxiety level on the peninsula. The sixth would be seen as cynical in the extreme.

So, I’m still not sure these would add up to Korean support of troops in Iraq, especially if the killing starts. I guess that we’ll find out.

Jeffery Hodges

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Also, leaders - including Roh and his Foreign Minister - have made it a point to say that Korea, as a member of the Free World, has a duty and an interest in helping Iraq become a stable, functioning democracy. Certainly, they point out, seeing Iraq go to shit is not in South Korea’s best interests. Whether or not those arguments fall on deaf ears is another question.

It should be mentioned, too, that the ROK military has its own reasons for wanting to go in, and Special Forces Command has spent the last couple of months pushing hard to send its boys in. Clearly, they’re concerned about the health of the US-ROK alliance, but there are other factors. They may see this as a good opportunity to give their men and women some experience in the field. And assuming that they perform well (and given the kinds of troops they’re looking to send, I see no reason why they wouldn’t), it’ll raise the respect level other regional actors have for the ROK military. And, of course, there are more mundane issues (none of which would be used publicly as rationale for the dispatch), like the fact that for the officers and non-officers volunteering for Iraq, this is the career opportunity of a lifetime, and one many professional military men in Korea are loath to pass up.

If Korea is going to send troops, I’d rather see them giving other reasons that won’t evaporate if soldiers start dying. Koreans who want to send troops need to make the argument, publically, as to why this is in Korea’s interests. Will it increase Korean security? How? In the short run? In the long run? Will Korea’s contribution make a meaningful difference?

I realize that the jihadis have their sights set on the whole world, but that only shows their lack of realism, and it doesn’t mean that every country can best contribute to the war on militant Islamism (to distinguish it from Islam) by sending troops.

Those countries that do send troops will be appreciated, but they need to predicate their choice on something stronger than good relations with America. I haven’t heard Koreans making that argument yet (unless they’re putting forth other reasons in the Korean language press).

Jeffery Hodges

Besides, you have to understand how the press works in Korea - certain gov’t officilas leak stuff all the time to puch an agenda. In the cases you mentioned it could be much ado about nothing - “leaked” by someone opposed to the dispatch of troops to Iraq.

Anyway, I’m glad to see Korea is doing something, however small the contribution. Of course, it took Saddam’s capture to get them to act, whereas Japan decided to send troops before the event.

Anytime the whole Korea situation comes up in conversation here in our little corner of the US, folks I know keep asking “why are we still in Korea?” This inevitably leads to discussions of what is the role of American power. Is it “to be friends of Liberty everywhere, but guardians only of our own” or are we going to really commit to the Roman formula of “to protect the weak, and make humble the proud”?

In any event, that’s 3000 fewer American troops tied up in Iraq. And the totally un-scientific mood of the “American Street” (that’s aware of the situation) seems to be very glad. The reaction I’ve gotten from people when faced with “how would you feel if Korea refused to send troops to Iraq” has universally been “well then fuck them and bring our boys home”.

Which I don’t think anyone really wants, so this is a very good thing.

Sending the Korean troops has been defended — even by Noh — as good for Korea’s relations with America. Personally, though, I wonder if this will really be good for Korean-American relations. It’s not just that Korean soldiers might be killed on the battlefield or that Korean civilians in Iraq might be targeted, though these things will likely happen and raise Korean anger and protests.

The more serious issue is that this will likely lead to terrorist attacks in Korea itself. You’ve probably seen these reports already, but if not, take a look:

Yahoo! News: Singapore, Tuesday December 16, 2:49 PM, “Al-Qaeda scouted US terror targets in South Korea — intelligence reports” (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/031216/1/3goy2.html)

Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2003, “South Korea Says It May Be Terrorist Target,” by Barbara Demick (registration required) ()http://www.latimes.com/news/na.....-headlines

Of course, one might argue that the radical Islamists among the foreign workers here in Korea are possibly already planning terrorist attacks against American targets — and perhaps have been casing this country since the late 90s, according to the L.A. Times report — but Korean involvement in Iraq is likely to galvanize the militant Islamists.

Any thoughts?

Jeffery Hodges