Why are American troops stil on the DMZ line?

Question

In terms of diplomatic tensions in Asia and the situation in which South and North Korea are in, I think it's urgent for the U.S to pull it's troops out of Korea.

South Korea is one of the richest countries in the world and has a trillion dollar economy...They have more than enough money and man power to sustain and protect themselves. Also, a lot of people in Korea resent U.S. forces on the DMZ line and want them to go home! I think it's better for both sides to leave it in South Korea's hand.

Answer 1

US Troops are not on the DMZ except in a ceremonial role at the JSA. The ROK has taken over all of the guard stations and active patrols.

Although the DPRK, China, and the UN (note not the ROK or the US) reached an armistice agreement in 1953, right into the early 80's there was an undeclared hot war going on with patrols regularly abushing each other.

Koreans resent US troops right up to the point that we start to pull them out. Roh (the current President) got elected on an anti-US platform yet when the US announced plans to pull a brigade out of 2ID Roh was the one crying the loudest.
Same deal with Korea ask to take over command of their own troops. The US said cool, do it by 2009. Korean balked and ask to do it by 2012. If the current restructuring on Pen is any indicator of future results the CFC will still exist into the 2020s at least.
But the simple answer to your question is, we are here because we made a commitment and have not been released from that commitment yet. As soon as South Korea does not want us, we will leave.
Interestingly enough, most Koreans do not resent the American presence. It has not been mentioned even once in the Korean Presidential race and elections are happening in just over a week. It is a non-issue.

One last thing, the US does not spend as much as people think. The ROK covers a lot of the costs.

Answer 2

One of the reasons why we are still there is that technically the Korean war is not over. The active fighting ended due to a cease fire agreed to by both sides but there has never been a peace treaty signed so, again technically, fighting could flare up again. I'm not sure what, if any, treaty obligations we have towards South Korea but the US supplied the lions share of troops and material to the fight so we got stuck defending the DMZ. I agree with you that I would like to see the US stop bleeding cash on supporting troops over there as well as on all the US troops on policing duty the world over. Unfortunately the world is a crappy place and a lot of people would be brutalized if someone, meaning us, didn't provide a stabilizing influence.

Answer 3

The U.S. forces in South Korea are part of the UN Peace Enforcement Mission which was formed after the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on June 25, 1950. No end to that mission has occurred. There is only a cease fire in place with peace negotiations ongoing at Pamunjon.
Should U.S. forces be withdrawn, the South Koreans would probably march northward to rescue their fellow Koreans from the dictatorship of Kim Jong Il and the Korean Workers' Party. That would produce another request from the UN Security Council for yet another Peace Enforcement action and we would be right back on the Peninsula.

Answer 4

Theres a couple reasons why:

1)A ceasefire was reached on July 27, 1953 to halt the conflict of the Korean War and establish a demilitarized zone. However, no peace treaty has been signed to date, technically leaving North and South Korea at war.

2)The US has 22 bases & camps in South Korea which makes for a great staging area in an event that military action needs to be taken agianst North Korea or China or any other countrys near by.

3)Its also good to have an American presence to keep the region stable, because it would be ignorant to presume a near 30,000 US troops pull out with all their equpment would not affect the region in a bad way. Also its Americas way of keeping influence in the country & the countrys around it.

You need to understand that if anything goes down in that region, the US will & wants to be apart of it, to your liking or not. Its critical to keep our presence so anyone in that region knows if **** goes down that America will be their to act & that helps a bit in keeping the **** in check.

Answer 5

The Americans are holding the line as part of a U.N. action.

The war was never declared over so if the USA quits they look like losers!

WoW a trillion dollars economy of which I am sure a portion goes to American firms who have investments in the country.

A lot of people in Korea resent the fact that many South Korean unarmed refugees were shot, shelled and bombed on purpose (there are more than enough documents showing the orders to fire on them, google "No Gun Ri" for one example) and the U.S. refuses to pay compensation.

Answer 6

Maybe the thing is not a problem between the Koreas but between the US and China, that could be why they're still there.

Answer 7

Yeah, right up to the point where the ingrate South Koreans have to pay for their own defense because we are leaving. Then they'll cry like babies.

Answer 8

technically we are still at war with north korea.only a cease fire was signed in 1953 not a peace treaty.

Answer 9

half of the us millitary budget is justified by those evil communist rice farmers. The military complex cant give up that money,

heres why we are at war in Afghanistan-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,575593,00.html

Answer 10

I agree, we already fought that war once, don't need to again.