Comments on: Rather a nuclear waste dump than the Americans: P’yeongt’aek to become Buan Part II?

By: The Faz

The Faz — Wed, 04 Feb 2004 07:10:36 +0000

Having been stationed down in wonderful Pyongtaek (actually An-jong-ni if you want to be particular) I have to say I find they’re comments laughable. First off, very few Americans ever go down to Pyongtaek, except to catch the train to Seoul, so I find there claims of harassment and such ridiculous. Second, there are no fighter aircraft stationed at Camp Humphreys, just helicopters, so the noise level is low. Try going to Osan if you want to hear aircraft noise. Third, I don’t recall in my whole time there seeing any waste fuel burnt. However, I doubt I would have been able to smell it due to the overwhelming stench of burning garbage (particularly plastic) coming from the farms surrounding our base. Guys in my unit would literally start gagging and dry heaving during perimeter runs when we passed by some of those “eco-friendly” farms. So I call bullshit on all of their complaints. As for the women, let me just say there’s a reason they started bringing in women from Uzbekistan to be juicy girls, and it isn’t because the locals “couldn’t adorn themselves as they would like.”

By: Daniel Mckellen

Daniel Mckellen — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 04:05:34 +0000

I guess you’re right, Mr. Marmot.
However, I have to point out that Seoul is working hard to improve its air pollution, and about 20% of the air pollution in Seoul is also due to the Chinese Yellow Storm that comes to Korea every spring. The storm brings the air pollution and sand from Chinese cities and deserts, and is often a great hindrance to people in the streets. However, some particles in the storm stay, and don’t disppear unitl later.

By: ari(w)rong

ari(w)rong — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 22:25:40 +0000

The problem with a USFK referendum is that Korea already has elected officals that “should” step up to the plate and make a decision for the future of their country.

The problem is that the Korean populace feels pretty darn alienated from its elected officials. At least that’s my understanding. I think most Koreans feel that elected politicians are too busy looking out for his/her own economic interests and that of his/her clique of cronies to do anything else… and from what little I’ve seen I can’t say I disagree with them.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a referendum for an issue like this …

Thanks for the link to the Hadaway site. I’ll take a read through it.

By: KimcheeGI

KimcheeGI — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 22:23:32 +0000

Slim & Ari(w)rong,

The problem with a USFK referendum is that Korea already has elected officals that “should” step up to the plate and make a decision for the future of their country. I cringed when President Roh invoked the referendum card last year. He was elected to make these tough decisions and to implement the policy to ensure compliance.

Anyway, the USFK referendum idea is not new in the blogosphere. A Miami lawyer named Brant C. Hadaway over at Strange Women Lying in Ponds blogged about the very idea in late September of last year.

Although I agree with his analysis of what would happen *if* the referendum was introduced, it still should be up to the National Assembly to introduce legislastion to ask for the withdrawl of USFK.

Another point about the relocation talks: the South Korean side consisted of mainly mid-to-lower level MND officals, one and two star generals. Does anyone think they have any kind of authority to make this move happen? It still has to be reviewed and approved by the National Assembly–shades of 1991 all over again….

By: R. Elgin

R. Elgin — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:56:32 +0000

As per “Ohmynews”: ” . . .and because the American soldiers carelessly burn waste fuel, we couldn’t hang up our laundry,” this is such obvious nonsense and yes — yellow journalism — that it boggles the mind. I suppose they don’t count the people burning home-made oil can stoves throughout Seoul, on the sidewalks and the trash fires that have **repeately** been reported and complained about in my neighborhood as being a bad thing. Mind you, Seoul is on record as having the worst air pollution of any modern city in the world, even more so that Mexico City or Rome! That fact seems not to be on the agenda of “Ohmynews”.

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 09:13:37 +0000

Mr. Mckellen, rape is hardly a phenomenon limited to American soldiers based in Korea. I’ll assume that you read Korean, so it should come as no shock to you that the Korean papers are full of reports of rape and sexual assault. This is not to slam Korea in any way, of course — rape is a common enough crime in most societies, unfortunately. Anyway, take a look at the official crime statistics via the Ministry of Justice or the Statistics Bureau — the crime rate among USFK personnel is MUCH lower that that of Korean society as a whole, and if you’re a young Korean woman, you’re probably more likely to get raped drinking with your male college friends in Kangnam than you are hanging around a U.S. military installation. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has been raped by an American soldier, but I do know a few women who have been raped or sexually assaulted by male coworkers, classmates, friends, etc.. Moreover, to say that when sexual assaults by individual servicemen take place, U.S. forces are at fault is like saying that Korean society is at fault when a lunatic goes into a Japanese school in Seoul and starts attacking kindergarten kids with an axe. Anyway, I happened to agree that there are plenty of reasons why some residents of P’yongt’aek wouldn’t want a large military facility OF ANY KIND placed in their town, and yes, I can see how that sentiment would be particularly acute given that the installations in question belong to foreign militaries. But to argue that “women have been RAPED” is to suggest that rapes would not happen if the U.S. servicemen were to disappear (obviously not the case) or that rapes by U.S. servicemen are somehow worse than the rapes that take place (and much more frequently) in the society at large.

By: Daniel Mckellen

Daniel Mckellen — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 07:59:48 +0000

Personally, I think that the Koreans have areason to complain about the USFK in their area. Apart from the damage caused by the U.S. military drills, women have been RAPED. This means that the U.S. forces are actually at fault.

By: Zhang Fei

Zhang Fei — Sat, 31 Jan 2004 16:23:36 +0000

This sorta thing would happen in the US as well.

Actually, no. Getting a military base really invigorates the local economy. Losing military bases is what really loses votes, which is why Congressmen go all out to retain them. Most of the places that face base closures encounter significant economic hardship - many locals end up having to leave town to find jobs.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Jan 2004 12:01:52 +0000

What’s so unusual about this story? No one would want a big military base around the corner. This sorta thing would happen in the US as well. It could regard a new military base, a new airport, a new expressway, a new subdivision tearing up farmland. I personally am not surprised that the people being displaced are pissed. It’s human nature. NIMBY.

By: Ancorenalpha

Ancorenalpha — Sat, 31 Jan 2004 08:34:55 +0000

Actually, a referendum would be great. Then the people in SoKor would have some accountability for their choices. If they want ‘outsiders’ to leave so bad… fine. Good luck surviving the situations with all their oh-so-friendly neighbors. If they want to practice the sink-or-swim approach, I am all for it. Odds are against them, but they might surprise the world (and OH what a boost to their national pride THAT would be). But if they vote the other way, then all their complaints will ring hollow as Ari(w)rong has pointed out. Re-do the thing every few years until the US leaves. The point of the referendum would be to make them put their money where their mouth is… will they live the hypocrisy or give it up in favor of common sense.