U.S.-S. Korean Alliance Is Put to Test in Debate Over Troop Realignment

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Long-standing ties between the United States and South Korea faced a new test Tuesday, with the allies disagreeing over plans to consolidate U.S. bases in the South.
Seoul also said more talks are needed about separate plans by Washington to slash the number of American troops here. While the U.S. plans represent the biggest troop realignment in South Korea since the early 1970s, the alliance that was forged in the devastating 1950-53 Korean War was likely to remain resilient at a time when communist North Korea is believed to be developing nuclear weapons.

The United States says its troops also contribute to a balance of power in a region where the major nations, including Japan and China, have traditionally dominated the Korean Peninsula. The talk of a withdrawal of U.S. troops has unsettled some South Koreans, even though their government has pledged to strengthen its own military.

South Korean Defense Minister Cho Young-kil described the U.S. proposal to pull a third of its 37,000 troops out by the end of next year as not yet complete. But he promised to strengthen South Korean forces, who face a massive North Korean army across the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two sides.

"We will take measures to ensure that the U.S.-South Korea deterrent capability is not diminished, and we will make efforts to strengthen our deterrent capabilities," Cho said.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBOI74N8VD.html