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Friends not foes ID: Tiger Woods
Just before the North-South summit talks took place during the Kim Dae-jung Administration, high-ranking public officials illegally remitted money, the people's tax, to the North that has been used to develop nuclear weapons. Although this particular administration has committed a capital crime against the nation, they are still burying their heads in the sand. The candle light vigil was held in many places around Seoul for months. This has been used as a tool to stir up anti-Americanism. Such actions against democracy are destroying the alliance between South Korea and the United States that has been established for more than 50 years. During the Korea-Japan Worldcup in 2002, there was a sort of military engagement in the western sea of Korea between the North and the South. Precious soldiers have been killed in that engagement, but we couldn't find much condolence from the people.
As a person who does not pursue toadyism or flunkeyism, I totally agree for the U.S. army to stay in Korea as a safety valve in matters of protection against war and the growth of economy. Asserting anti-Americanism or the removal of the U.S. army is more than dangerous. 37 thousand U.S. soldiers who are residing in the Southern Korean peninsula take a big part in suppressing threats of war from the North. 36,940 American soldiers died in battlefield and 103,284 injuries recorded, making it a total of about 140,000 sacrifices. If it weren't for the Americans, there wouldn't have existed any sort of democracy in the Korean peninsula at all.
Thinking even ahead of wanting equal status between the U.S. and South Korea, we must not revoke anti-Americanism that might lead to a retreat of the U.S. army. In that case, the security in South Korea will be seriously jeopardized.
Is this a puppet show? ID: Challenger
Discussion on the Korea-U.S. relationship has dominated the social issues in Korea. The question whether the government should withdraw the U.S. troops or not is hotly debated in the country. In my opinion, the Korea's relation with the U.S. is nothing but a dependant one: If the Korean government requests for the U.S. troops to stay in Korea continuously, a subordinate relationship will be composed. When such circumstances become a little more developed, Korea would eventually become nothing more than a puppet, having the United States hold the strings.
No wonder many people think that the U.S. troops are essential in this country in consideration of the past. Some people are very skeptic about this topic. They insist we are weak, unable to cope with N.K. without U.S. troops. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next year, or the year after? Will it be when the U.S. troops be stationed in every house? "We have no eternal allies and no perpetual enemies - our interests are eternal and it is our duty to follow." This was part of a speech by Viscount Palmerston, an English politician. Will the U.S. protect South Korea forever?
We should not depend our security on the U.S. totally. We must establish independent national defense capabilities in consideration of Korea's long-term national interests. The U.S. is forcing Korea to buy arms in consideration of reinforcing military strength, and to expand military expenditures for repositioning the U.S. troops into Yongsan. But such an acceptance certainly has a somber lining in the future. They are simply taking advantage of Korea where the U.S. hegemony wants to take ultimate power over Asia. What about the unfair Korean-American Mutual Defense Agreement involving SOFA? I really wonder what the real interests of people in Korea are at this moment.
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