YONHAP NEWS

(2nd LD) U.S. envoy hints at gap between Bush, Lee over OPCON transfer time

   By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- The top American envoy here opposed Friday any rescheduling of South Korea's retaking of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops, saying President-elect Lee Myung-bak has enough time to prepare for the transfer in five years.

   The remark by U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow conflicts with Lee's opposition to an early transfer and growing hopes among conservatives here of possible re-negotiation of the timeframe for the transfer.

   The planned retaking of the wartime OPCON is a key policy of the outgoing Roh Moo-hyun government which seeks less influence from Washington.

   Lee, who will succeed Roh in a couple of months, and his conservative Grand National Party claim it is still premature for Seoul to get back the OPCON, given North Korea's growing threats and the South's defense capability.

   Lee said during the presidential campaign that he will reconsider the date for the transfer, although he has yet to clarify his position on the issue since his election. Lee is under pressure from his supporters to postpone the transfer.

   "As I said, the strategic transition plan is already agreed upon and it is being implemented," Vershbow told a Seoul forum. The envoy met with Lee on Thursday, a day after the conservative's landslide victory that will end a decade of liberal rule here.
South Korea and the U.S. agreed early this year to the transfer of the wartime OPCON on April 17, 2012 in a bid to re-balance their alliance that dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War. Seoul voluntarily put the operational control of its military under the American-led U.N. Command shortly after the war broke out, and it took back peacetime OPCON in 1994.

   Experts here viewed Vershbow's comments as aimed at reaffirming Washington's desire to to push for the OPCON transfer as scheduled.

   "His remarks on the OPCON issue are very noteworthy. It seems that the envoy wanted to convey Washington's clear message again to South Korea's next government that the OPCON transfer should be implemented as planned," said Baek Seung-joo, senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses who attended the forum.

   Vershbow also stressed the need for closer cooperation between the Bush administration and South Korea's next government in keeping the process of denuclearizing North Korea on track.

   He said he was still optimistic that Pyongyang will soon complete the second phase of its long path towards nuclear disarmament under its deal with the U.S., South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.

   The reclusive state is required to provide a full account of its nuclear weapons and related programs by the end of this year to be eligible for additional energy aid.

   Other incentives include removal from the U.S. list of terrorism-sponsoring nations, normalization of its relations with Washington and the establishment of a permanent peace regime on the peninsula.

   "We may not meet the deadline but we will get there in the end. All these things can come together rather quickly if they demonstrate and practice that they are ready to fulfill their obligations," Vershbow said. "And then in 2008 we can start focusing on completing the final phase of this process. We would certainly like to do that during the remainder of President Bush's term."
He said that the "action-for-action" principle remains the best way to deal with the situation now and in the future.

   "Those steps will be taken in parallel with both disablement and the provision of complete and accurate declaration. So we will continue to maintain that principle that they have to implement their part to bargain for us to implement ours," he said.

   The U.S. envoy also hoped that the advent of South Korea's new administration will provide a chance for the two sides to review their time-honored alliance.

   "The arrival of a new administration is always a good time to reassess what is the purpose of our alliance and define the broader vision for the coming years," Vershbow said.

   "We certainly welcome the emphasis that President-elect Lee Myung-bak has placed on the alliance and his commitment that he has expressed to continue to strengthen the alliance," he added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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