U.S. wants Seoul to send brigade-size force to Iraq

[chenGOD]

The United States has asked South Korea to dispatch "light infantry" with independent command and supporting troops to Iraq, a senior government official said yesterday.

The U.S. side has not specified the exact number of troops it wants Seoul to send, but cited a Polish division as an example, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. --snip--

--more--Wi Sung-lac, director general for North American affairs in the South Korean Foreign Ministry, said earlier in the day that the government will consider its alliance with the United States, public opinion, and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, when deciding whether to send troops to Iraq.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/site/data/html_dir/2003/09/16/200309160050.asp?kpage=1&kppage=0&scode=FA&art_id%22=
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Here's hoping the South Korean government looks at the responses of other countries when it makes the decision. However this phrase "the government will consider its alliance with the United States" pretty much ensures that they won't.

[lcordero]

1. South Korea has it's own problems

Problems that this administration has instigated.

[denverbill]

2. Good grief.

South Korea faces one of the largest militaries and craziest leaders on the entire f'in planet, and we want them to pull troops from their own country to help fix Iraq? If I was South Korea I'd tell bush to go fuck himself.

[Ergotron]

19. Why do we still have troops in S. Korea, Germany, Japan, etc.?

Can't those countries defend themselves? Isn't it time to bring our troops home?

[Snow]

21. To keep control of things - it's not about defending them. But,

yes, it is time and past to bring them home. Yes, even from Korea.

[drewb]

26. LOL... You sound like Pat Buchanon... ISOLATIONIST!!!

J/K...

[Beetwasher]

3. Damn, the admin MUST be desparate to do this

SK needs all of its troops right where they are...

[Chico Man]

4. (Korean) Liberals, Conservatives Clash Head on Again Over Troop Dispatch

Liberal groups said on Sept. 15 that they opposed the idea of sending troops to help Americans with their imperialist war, adding they would take necessary actions such as holding a rally to stop the government from making such a decision. They plan to hold a joint press interview before Chong Wae Dae in the morning of Sept. 16 to express their categorical opposition to troop dispatch.

It is humiliation for this country to send troops to Iraq, where Americans are waging a unjustified oil and hegemonic war, said the Coalition of People in a statement. We vehemently oppose the idea of sending troops to Iraq.

There is no reason for young people in this country to risk their lives in the American imperialist war, said Rev. Han Chung-mok of the Alliance for Reunification. Dispatch of troops will not be justified whatsoever.

The government must not send troops to clean up the mess in the unjustified American war, said the People Coalition for Participatory Democracy. Iraq is increasingly seen as an American quagmire like Vietnam in the past, and dispatch of troops will most likely lead to additional dispatch.



Discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=115704

[tweekinnow]

5. Is Bush

Desperate,or what!?!?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. They're leaning on Japan the same way

I don't have a link, but a few days back there was a thread here referencing an article about US officials telling Japanese officials to "straighten up" or somesuch, and send a self-sufficient force to Iraq.

How do you say "bite me" in Korean and in Japanese?

[chenGOD]

9. Yes I read the Japan thread ....

I don't think Japan will send any troops, due to the election coming up soon.

I don't know about Japanese, but Korean doesn't really have a direct translation for "bite me"...
ukkijima-don't make me laugh
yot mogko-f**k off

damned romanization of Korean, looks horrible.

[Don_G]

17. Japan Can't Send Troops Yet

They would have to change their Constitution to allow their self-defense force to serve with (under) a foreign nation in an overseas capacity.

Tough luck Dimbo!

[Snow]

18. Heheh - it is tough, isn't it?

I would spell "ukkijima" as "ootgeejeemah" - 9 out of 10 Americans will pronounce it close to correctly that way. And how about "Nal gwang moorah!" for "bite me". Much like another favorite Korean expression of mine, "Ddahm ohpsu!" (no sweat).....

[chenGOD]

23. Yes it's difficult...

Your translations are good, but unfortunately, they're literal translations. A Korean would never use "No Sweat" to mean no problem. "Nal gwang mooroh" actually means "bite me", as in, take a chunk of flesh out of me with your teeth.

[Snow]

29. I know,

the literal translations are fun, though. I once made a brush calligraphy of the hanja (chinese characters) for "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" to hang on my office wall. Great confusion amongst all who could read the characters - then after I explained, most thought it was funny. A few were still confused....
but think of other idioms, translated literally...
"no shit!"
"when pigs fly!"
and so on....

even the other way, common Korean expressions:
"I'll go and come"
"My breath is blocked"
"I forgot blackly"
Fun, eh?

[Zech Marquis]

10. IIRC

one way to tell off whistle ass in japanese would be "fusaken na!", wihich means don't jerk me around (or my version, don't fuck with me!" :evilgrin:

Yes, I read a tread here last week, when some DoD senior offcial warned the Japanese "it's time for you to shape up!" :wtf: ? They must be in some serious trouble to be doing this!

[OldSoldier]

24. You could try this...

(probably spelled wrong, but the phonetics are close enough)

"Nimi shimi pec-pogi da, odishi."

The ultimate Korean insult: means "your mother has a bald pussy."

It dates back to the "comfort woman" era. When the Japanese occupied Korea, they forced many Korean women into sexual slavery. The Japanese government opened many brothels, collected money from Japanese soldiers for sexual favors, and kept it all for themselves.

Naturally, some Korean women figured this shit out, and started making humiliation profitable: asking for tips, opening non-approved brothels, that sort of thing. When they were caught, the occupiers would shave off their pubic hair as punishment.

More concise translation: your mom's a traitor. Saying "your mom's a whore" isn't much of an insult because prostitution is an old and honorable family business there. Screwing Japanese men who invaded their country and sawed down all the trees as a means of humiliating the Korean people is a different story.

[chenGOD]

27. Man I dunno what Korea you visited....

but prostitution is certainly not an honorable family business. Most of the girls that are prostitutes are run-aways, or they are kidnapped by the gangsters here.

That might have been the biggest Korean insult in the days when Korea was occupied by Korea, it would still be a strong insult today, cause you're talking about someone's mother.

I dunno what the strongest insult would be these days, as there's a wide variety of insults to choose from...

[0007]

25. "Muckahigh"

Will that work?

[StaggerLee]

7. Who's next?

The Vatican guard?

:freak: :wtf:

[chenGOD]

11. lol....I can just imagine them sweating their buts off in Iraq

wearing their Swiss uniforms.

But since the Pope was one of the people who condemned this war from the start, I don't think the Vatican guard will be heading anywhere near Iraq for a while....;)

[MaineDem]

8. Unbelievable!

You send us troops to help in Iraq or you can kiss the US troops in Korea good bye. I can just imagine the "negotiations" going on now.

[E_Zapata]

12. 50% of US voters approve of bush's Iraq plan:

They should put down their flags and suit up. It's the patriotic thing to do.

That would create a force of MILLIONS - 50 million in the first month.

Suit up, America!

[jayfish]

13. This Is All Being Done For Show.

Ask this question: Why would the US ask two nations, where the US has large numbers of forces stationed, to send their troops to a different country where the US also has large numbers of troops stationed? Answer: To make it appear as though the World is behind us in this disaster. Why not just re-deploy our own troops stationed in Korea and Japan? This is strictly for US voter consumption.

Jay

-EDITED FOR CONTENT-

[atreides1]

14. Because...

The US has already taken the 3rd Brigade of the 2ndID, equipped it with the new Stryker target vehicle, and is deploying the unit to Iraq.

Besides, pulling US troops out of Japan and South Korea would show that the US cannot fight a 2 front war, and it would weaken the US's
hold on both countries.

[jayfish]

15. Like I Said,...

all for show. From what I understand, that thing should be called "stricken target vehicle.

Jay

[Ergotron]

20. "Why not just re-deploy our own troops stationed in Korea and Japan? "

EXCELLENT QUESTION! Let's do it.

[burrowowl]

16. The U$A should

ask the North Koreans for troops, takes some of the pressure off South Korea and would give North Koreans much needed money.
The North Koreans have plenty of troops to spare.

[Snow]

22. Shades of Vietnam!

when the US forced Korea to send multitudinous troops to Vietnam, creating another generation of war disabled in a country that surely didn't need any. The leverage then was of course, the US troops in Korea. Most of you have already commented that this is an obvious * empire cheap-labor save-face save-bucks move, and the leverage on Korea is the same old we'll-pull-out if you don't kick in with some troops ploy. There were huge protests in Korea when the non-combatant troops were deployed to Iraq. A move to send combatants in my humble opinion would topple the government, which would be most unfortunate, since President Noh seems to me a very decent, progressive sort. So my hope is that Noh calls *'s bluff. I'm beginning to think Korea would be better off with the US troops gone completely anyway.

[saigon68]

30. The Vietnamese loved the Koreans

The average Vietnamese was terrified of them. They acted like the gangster thugs and mercenaries that they were.

These were the guys whose interrogation tactic was to take 2 guys up in a helicopter and throw one out at 2000 feet.

Delightful they are making a return engagement</sarcasm>

Redux Viet-Nam 1968

[Snow]

31. Yes, well, take care not to generalize too much.

On another thread we're talking about murderous dictators sponsered/befriended by american presidents. Two of the worst, Chun Doohwan and Roh Taewoo, were in power in Korea when a rebellion occurred in the southern provincial capital of Kwangjoo. Among the troops sent to stomp all over everybody in Kwangjoo were some special troops who were orphans - young men of no families. Being disconnected like that in Korea makes for a harsh existence, and the kids often grow up very bitter and alienated. Those kids were selected for this special troop, then trained to be even more brutal....and it sure worked!

Don't know for sure what was going on with the troops in Vietnam, but they most likely weren't typical of Koreans. And, yes, I heard those stories and more.

[Robb]

28. It's really simple

It's coalition-building, Bush-style. Buy the little countries.

We just stuck a ton of PAC3 missiles along the border as part of a phased $11 Billion plan to help them scare the poop out of NK. If they don't send some troops we can count among the "international approval" column, well, we just might have to take our missiles back.... :eyes: