hankyoreh

November 2008. (Photo by Lee Jung-a)

By Lee Jung-ae

A U.S. diplomatic cable revealed that the Ministry of National Defense falsely told the South Korean public that discussion were still under way on the use of its contribution to common defense expenses for U.S. military base, when it had practically reached an agreement with the U.S. to do so.

It also emerged that the U.S. estimated South Korea’s share of the relocation expenses at more than 90%, contradicting the South Korean government account that each countries would be bearing approximately half the cost.

According to a confidential U.S. Embassy Seoul diplomatic cable from Apr. 2, 2008, released by the web site WikiLeaks, the embassy said that at the time of the agreements in 2004 for the Yongsan Relocation Plan (YRP) and South Korea-U.S. Land Partnership Plan (LPP), “there was an understanding between the U.S. and Korean governments that [Special Measures Agreement] funds would be used for construction costs associated with the relocation plans.”

“While the United States Forces Korea has been forthcoming with [the Ministry of National Defense] on its intent to use SMA funds, the ROKG has not yet informed the National Assembly and the Korean public of this understanding,” the cable read.

The cable also stated, “According to USFK, the total estimated cost of YRP and LPP combined is approximately $9.6 billion. This is roughly the same as the ROKG’s estimated figure of 10 trillion won. However, USFK estimates that the ROK share of the total cost would be $8.98 billion, compared with Defense Ministry estimates of about $5 billion.”

“If in fact the SMA and BTL figures are factored in, the ROK contribution would equal about 93 percent of the total cost,” the cable continued.

In response, the Ministry of National Defense said, “It would not be appropriate to view the contribution to common defense and private investment rental costs as the South Korean burden.”　 　

South Korea and the United States agreed on the principles for the relocation in 2004 and announced a plan for the division of relocation costs in March 2007. The Yongsan Garrison, whose relocation Seoul requested first, would be paid for by South Korea, while the 2nd Infantry Division, which the U.S. requested first, would be paid for by the U.S.

Kwon Haeng-geun, then head of the Ministry of National Defense U.S. military base relocation project team, said South Korea’s share would be 5.6 trillion won ($4.7 billion), or a little more than half of the total 10 trillion won cost.

But civic organizations including Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea objected, saying the South Korean government would be bearing most of the actual costs through the diversion of the U.S. contribution to common defense expenses. The Defense Ministry denied this and said discussions were still underway over the issue of diverting the defense contribution.

In a June 2007 meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, then-Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo said, “We understand about the diversion of the contribution to common defense.”

During a 2008 South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting, it was formally agreed that the 2009-2013 common defense contribution could be used for the relocation costs, and the agreement was reported to the National Assembly.

In essence, the South Korean government showed its understanding of the U.S. contribution’s diversion to common defense some time between 2004 and April 2007 at the latest, but denied this and only made it official in 2008. However, there was a controversy over how clearly the South Korean government showed its “understanding” prior to 2008.

“DG Cho Byung-jae repeated MOFAT’s view that the ROK National Assembly’s supplementary opinion that future Special　Measures Agreement (SMA) funds not be used by USFK to fund portions of the LPP constrained ROKG options,” stated the cable on Aug. 7, 2007. “DASD Sedney repeated U.S. points from the previous week’s Security Policy　Initiative talks in Hawaii that it was important that the ROKG accurately inform the National Assembly regarding the necessity that the U.S. use SMA for LPP.”

According to the cable, in May 2008 after President Lee Myung-bak took office, the U.S. government was still in discussions with the South Korean government to solve this issue. 　

A controversy over the diversion appears inevitable, with the U.S. issuing a demand last year for the extension of the contribution of common defense diversion period by two years to 2015.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]