See if you can spot the disinformation:
Kim Sook, director-general in charge of North American affairs at the [foreign] ministry, on Wednesday rejected suggestions that the U.S. base relocation talks could drag out until next year, after the ninth Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative (FOTA) meeting on the issue ended Tuesday without significant progress.
“Our deadline for concluding all negotiations is the next round of FOTA talks,” he told reporters.
No date has been set for the 10th round of discussions, but sources indicated the final FOTA meeting will be held in late July. Special high-level consultations to work through details for the base transfer will begin late this month or early next month.
“We had hoped to achieve a consensus at the most recent talks, but the U.S. presented its troop reduction plan just one day before the talks began,” Kim explained. He said Seoul needed to take into account details of Washington’s troop withdrawal plan before signing a deal on the Yongsan relocation.
Then:
The major sticking point in the negotiations is how much land will be allotted for the new garrison. The U.S. wants 3.6 million pyong (1,190 hectares) of land, while South Korea says it can only provide 3.3 million pyong (1,090 hectares).
OK, in case you haven’t figured it out, the main sticking point ISN’T the extra 300,000 pyong of land the U.S. is apparently trying to finagle out of the Koreans, and Kim tips us off to that in the beginning. The main sticking point is, as Kim Tae-gyeong of OhMyNews pointed out yesterday, that the Korean side, under fire domestically, virtually demanded that the entire deal be renegotiated ala the Hankyoreh because, as the North American affairs desk chief points out, Seoul “needs to take into account details of Washington’s troop withdrawal plan before signing a deal on the Yongsan relocation.” This, too, is bullshit, as is the “U.S. presented its troop reduction plan just one day before the talks began” whine because the Korean side had known all about Washington’s plans to reorganize USFK — including reductions in troop strength — for the last year. In fact, EVERYONE knew about Washington’s plans — for the last several months, not a day went past without the Chosun Ilbo running at least one piece on the inevitable troop withdrawal. Anyway, the Korean negotiators agreed to give 3.3 million pyong of land to USFK with the understanding that the Americans were going to downsize considerably their forces in Korea. The problem is, now that everything is out in the open, the public sees this deal for what it is — not a very good one. And they’re pissed. In fairness to the Korean negotiators, considering the position they were negotiating from, they probably got as much as they could get, i.e., nothing. Now, they’re under pressure from the public (and one would imagine Cheong Wa Dae) to pull a Pyongyang and seek an entirely new deal. This ain’t going to wash with the Americans, however, because a) they thought they had a deal; and b) they probably don’t see Seoul in the best of lights right now, and I’d image they’re negotiating for keeps. U.S. negotiators seemed exceedingly pissed after this latest round of FOTA talks fell through. Check that — they didn’t “seem” pissed; Korean-proficient U.S. chief negotiator Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless (who, if the photos are anything to go by, is one big mo-fo) openly expressed how disappointed he was to the Chosun today.
Hey, perhaps I’m wrong here, but I don’t see this deal getting done any time soon unless one of the two bends over mightily.
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What bugs me is that the South Koreans are going to get back very valuable real estate that they have wanted for a while.
Here is what they want
They want the US out of Seoul. Anyone who tells you differently is a lie, that land is very valuable. and they want the USFK to pay for the move.
The TENTH round of FOTA talks. That alone should tell you that nothing is going to get done.
And gimme a break - “Future of the Alliance” Talks. “Divorce proceedings” are more like it.
Screw it we don’t need the land in Pyongtek because we should just get everybody out. We can leave a small symbolic force at the DMZ and our pilots in Kunsan. Otherwise get on the transports boys, you’re going home (or God forbid to Iraq).
Outside of physical torture, negotiating with Koreans has to be one of the most maddening experiences in the world. They’re (1) stubborn, (2) not interested in hearing rationales or explanations for your positions or providing any logical ones for theirs, (3) they’re always looking to re-negotiate points that you previously settled and (4) if they don’t know the answer to crucial piece of information, they’ll just make it up b/c not knowing is a “loss of face.” My sympathies to Mr. Lawless.
The Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade sounded very conciliatory last night on KBS News, in regard to the US land request in the Osan-Pyeongtaek area.
The minister explained, for example, that the US had already calculated in the reduction of US troops when it reduced its land request from 5 million “pyeong” to 3.6 million last June, an explanation that seems to be preparing the Korean public for Korea’s aggreeing to the US’s 3.6 million “pyeong” request. He also seemed to hint that Korea is willing to accept the US request when he said, “If a rational standard or basis for the calculations is presented, then we can come to an agreement.” Finally, he said he expects the negotiations to be completed at the 10th FOTA meeting next month, which tells me that Korea is just waiting to say, “okay.”
I wonder is Koreans realise that Uncle Sam is tired of this kind of bullshit and is just looking for an excuse to leave ASAP. I doubt they are because there are still convinced USFK is only in Korea to benefit America.