1999:
Wing Commander: Colonel Gary North - 14 May 99
- 16 May 2000
Freedom Bird: In February 1999, the Air Mobility Command announced that Kunsan Air Base
would be added to the existing World Airways flight W-377 Patriot Express
starting March 4. The PCS flights originate from the Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport, fly to Osan AB, and then return to the U.S.
Kunsan to receive AMC passenger flights
by 1st Lt. Kimberly Devereux 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (AFPN) -- Air Mobility Command announced recently
the addition of Kunsan Air Base to the existing World Airways flight W-377
Patriot Express starting March 4. Kunsan will receive a minimum of 50 seats per
flight for members moving to and from Kunsan each week. Any open seats will be
given to space-available passengers at Kunsan. Current permanent changes of
station flights originate from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, fly to
Osan Air Base, South Korea, and then returned to the United States. "Under the
new service, Wolf Pack passengers won't have the four-hour bus ride to and from
Kunsan," said Senior Master Sgt. Florendo Palting, 8th Transportation
Management Flight chief. "This is a tremendous morale boost to the Wolf Pack.
"Under the new system, members moving to Kunsan will be booked all the way
through to Kunsan. Those passengers moving to their next duty station will
start their journey from Kunsan instead of Osan." The new routing will be
Seattle-Osan-Kunsan-Osan-Seattle-Los Angeles with a mission number designator
change to W-377 to reflect the turnaround at Kunsan. AMC will continue to
operate the mission with a 360-seat MD-11 aircraft. "This is an important
quality of life benefit for members stationed here," said Maj. Mike Cleary, 8th
Transportation Squadron commander. "In addition to PCS passengers, people can
fly space-A for their mid-tour leave, temporary duty to Osan, or for leave or
pass to Osan."
Rodeo at Kunsan: In May 1999, the Korean American Cowboy Association (KACA) held a rodeo at
Kunsan for the troops with a real-live bull-riding event and rodeo clowns to
boot. To see photos of the rodeo go to http://www.nonprofitpages.com/kaca/ .
Foal Eagle 1999: At Osan Air Base, the 11-day, two-phase event tested the ability to defend the
base against enemy attack while continuing to generate combat sorties. Overall,
there are more than 1,000 combat sorties planned throughout the peninsula. The
annual exercise, held at a variety of locations throughout the Korean peninsula
including Kunsan AB, involved some 30,000 U.S. military forces, including Army,
Navy, Air Force and Marine troops; as well as more than 500,000 Republic of
Korea forces. It was created to test rear-area protection operations and major
command, control and communications systems. The FTX portion of the exercise
rotates yearly between Osan and Kunsan AB. The 51st Fighter Wing was
responsible for air base defense in 1999. More than 700 U.S., 750 ROK and 3,800
home reserve forces provided protection, while "aggressors" from other security
forces units such as those at Kunsan AB, tried to penetrate the perimeter and
bring the base down.
The following is from the recollections of Lee Flint, Jan 2001 on his website 90-08 There I Was:
I'll kick off the there I was stories. I had a ton of great experiences at Yokota during my time there in the 36th Airlift Squadron. One of the highlights was my last trip with the unit, a Joint Army/Air Force Tactical Training mission to Kunsan Korea. We were there in May, 1999 with an Army Reserve Special Forces unit from somewhere in the Pacific NW.
My crew was great. My loadmasters were both very familiar with me and my leadership style. My navigator was realtively new to the squadron, but had heard about my reputation as a mission hacker while on the road. Altogether, we had a great group of guys who were ready to get the job done and do everything in our power to have fun at Kunsan, if at all possible.
During the trip we had a couple of setbacks. Poor weather prevented airdrops on several days, and then we had a maintenance problem, though not without a superhuman effort on the part of my crewchief to get the airplane working properly! He simply did not have all the tools he needed to get it fixed.
We made good use of our time off to explore Kunsan. We received less than a warm reception at a couple of the local hangouts. We even tried bowling, but to no avail. Most of the evenings we hit A-Town and painted the town. During the trip two exciting things happened for me. First , I found out that I had an assignment to PACAF HQ at Hickam AFB, HI, and second, I found out that I had been promoted to major. The beer flowed that night!
Our airdrops did happen, late on the last night of our JA/ATT. Our drop times were from 0100-0200. The night was clear, with some low lying fog. My nav found the drop zone on NVGs, we circled a couple of times to get the winds, then the jumpers went out, using High Altitude, Low Opening parachute techniques. Of course they landed exactly on target. We did one low pass after the last jumper got on the ground, then headed back for Kunsan, landing at about 0245.
Tired, but excited about of success, we headed back to the hotel off base for bed. It had been a great trip, and a helluva way to say goodbye to Yokota.
Lee Flint, Jan 2001
F-16 Mishaps: According to F-16.net, on 18 Mar 1999 aircraft 86-0277 of the 35th FS, F-16C Block 30D, was involved in a mishap. Fog at Kunsan AB, Korea caused the flight of two to divert to Kimhae International Airport also in Korea. Conditions at this airport were raining. The first aircraft landed but hydroplaned, resulting in the pilot using the end of runway barrier. The second aircraft landed and hydroplaned, but had to steer off the runway in order to avoid hitting the other aircraft which had just taken the barrier. Following this the aircraft struck the MA-1A barrier chain which tore off the entire undercarriage. Instructor pilot Major David L. Orr exited the aircraft safely without ejecting. Damage was a destroyed ECM pod, undercarriage and debris which was ingested into the engine.
The Pacific Air Forces News Service press release stated:
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (AFPN) -- An Air Force F-16 was involved in
a mishap about 7:30 p.m. March 18 (Korean Time) while landing at Kimhae
International Air Port, Pusan, Republic of Korea. The aircraft was part of a
two-ship formation that left Osan Air Base, R.O.K., and was forced to divert to
Kimhae because of weather. The F-16's landing gear was damaged, but the pilot,
Maj. David L. Orr, from the 35th Fighter Squadron, here, safely got out of the
aircraft after it stopped and was not injured. A recovery team from Kunsan is
on scene at Kimhae. A board of officers will investigate the mishap. (Courtesy
of Pacific Air Forces News Service)
On August 11, 1999, pilot error was the cause of an F-16 mid-air accident that
occurred over runway 36. According to F-16.net, aircraft 86-0266 of the 35th FS, F-16C Block 30D, collided with aircraft 88-0403 of the 80th FS, F-16C Block 30K, and crashed at Kunsan AFB. It was about 18:15 hours when the collision occurred and the aircraft were returning from a live weapons training mission. After the pilot of a/c 86-0266 ejected, the aircraft slid down on the runway with the gear torn off but was and was thought to have been a complete write-off. The aircraft impacted near the southern end of Kunsan's runway. The pilot, Major Mark Moore, had ejected safely. Two five hundred pound mk.82 bombs were recovered, however a CBU-87 went missing. It is believed to have been just off shore from the wreckage. Aircraft 88-0403, which landed safely, caused the accident by ignoring the calls from the other aircraft in the formation due to focusing too much on flying the aircraft. The aircraft was cleared to land, while the other had a take-off clearance. Damage to this aircraft was in the starboard wing (some damage to the left leading edge flap of the wing between stations no. 1 & 2) and horizontal stabilizer. Some sources have the aircraft belonging to the 35th FS. 88-0403 was written off.
According to AF News , "Based on evidence obtained during the investigation, the board determined
the mishap pilot, after deviating significantly from established parameters,
became so focused on flying his aircraft, he did not hear radio calls of the
other aircraft and did not break off his approach in time to avoid striking
another aircraft. The incident took place as a four-ship flight of F-16C
aircraft assigned to the 35th Fighter Squadron was returning from a training
sortie." The mishap aircraft's right wing struck the left wing of a second
aircraft in the formation. The second aircraft's pilot ejected from his
aircraft and it crashed into the hill ("Little Coyote") at the end of the
runway. He landed in the water about one mile short of the end of the runway
and was rescued. The mishap aircraft was still airworthy and landed
successfully with damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer.According to the Baugher Site, aircraft "86-0262/0268 General Dynamics F-16C Block 30D Fighting Falcon 0266
(8th FW, 80th FS) in collision with 88-0403 Aug 11, 1999 near Kunsan AB, Korea.
Survived and was repaired."
Typhoon Olga: Typhoon Olga pummeled Korea in August. Kunsan is normally unaffected by these
typhoons which normally head over Cheju towards Pusan and then veer off towards
Japan. This time it didn't. In the off-base areas, numerous highrise apartment
building glass windows were shattered either by the high winds or flying
debris. Despite the severity of the storm, there were only three deaths
Korea-wide.
Kunsan weathers Typhoon Olga Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea (AFPN) --
Typhoon Olga swept through here Aug. 3, shutting down normal operations,
causing damage to buildings and trees, but no injuries. The largest amount of
damage came from the winds, which sometimes gusted 55 mph. Several dormitories
lost part or all of their roofs during the storm. In addition, a number of
trees were uprooted, as were a few construction signs. Debris from the roofs
fell into the streets of Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, causing a few of
them to be blocked off while civil engineering crews undertook the task of
keeping the roads open. Despite the high winds and damage, the Wolf Pack's air
operations were brought back on line almost as soon as the weather cleared.
"The airfield is clear of any debris," said Lt. Col. Pat Ryan, 8th Civil
Engineer Squadron deputy commander. "The wing is operational." Even while the
storm was raging, CE crews were out repairing damage and preventing more from
occurring. Security forces joined them and other emergency units that helped
keep people off the street and out of the storm's path. "I've got to give a big
thanks to all the troops who worked through the night," said Col. Virgil Unger,
8th Fighter Wing vice commander. "They kept the base alive all through the
storm. If it weren't for their hard work, we wouldn't be back up to speed
already. Thanks to everyone's teamwork last night, the Wolf Pack is alive and
well." Luckily, the base was not caught by surprise by the typhoon. Capt. David
Andrus, chief of wing weather, said the weather shop began briefing the wing
commander as early as Aug. 2 about the storm. "At its closest point, the
typhoon passed 15 miles west of the base, and the wind reached 48 knots, or 55
miles per hour," said Senior Airman Bob Martinez, 8th Operation Support
Squadron weather flight. "In a 24-hour period, there was 1.88 inches of
rainfall at Kunsan, and for the entire time period during the storm, there was
2.49 inches of rain total." Repairs and clean up are expected to continue
throughout the rest of the week, but the worst is over. "Our crews have done a
great job getting the power back up and making sure people have places to live,
eat and work," said Unger. Civil engineer crews are evaluating Kunsan to
determine the total amount of damage and what repairs still need to be made.
Personal Comment MSgt Kevin Nicholas, USAF (Ret) of Lebanon, Ohio wrote in 2004, Ah, yes...."The Kun". You've never been packed until you've been "Wolfpacked". I was there from July 1998-July 1999. One tour was enough for me. The trips into A-town, having to take a Kimchee cab back to base and the walk back to the dorms. I actually watched one of my troops try to jump over a "benjo" ditch walking out to the 35th FS during one of the many CERE's. His helmet fell into the ditch and the stench from the water was awful! Poor guy had to wear it until getting to the "block house" before he could wash it off.
Base Finance Manager turns into an "Auggie Doggie": Dan Rea was a SSgt assigned to Base Finance. He spent May 1999-May 2000 at Kunsan and
came away with some interesting perspectives on the operations of the base and
life in Korea. He soon found himself occupying his free-time with hiking, trips
and becoming involved in the community teaching Conversational English to
teachers. He was one of the few who made great use of his time in taking
Taekwondo classes, taking trips to various places in Korea and even made a trip
to China. He immersed himself in his job and assigned as a section chief. He
even found time to get involved with the Kae Chong Orphanage. But also along
the way, he also became an "Auggie Doggie" -- Security Police augmentee.
On 08 May 1999 he wrote, "Let me tell ya, first couple dayz here and I'm
already exhausted! Yesterday I walked around the entire base getting
"navigateable", then at nite, we (being the newbees) were taken out on our
Green Bean, which consists of getting plastered at the onbase club followed by
a trip to A-town (American Town, just outside the base here) for more drinkin
and the infamous "Ammo Bowl" which is a huge bowl of alcohol with Soju mixed in
and is passed around to everyone there. Today, we had a picnic in the back of
our dorms. Played 5 on 5 full court basketball and volleyball, along with
eating some "interesting" hamburgers and hotdogs. Seems pretty kewl so far, and
theres more to come!"
 Kunsan Yellow Sea Bowling Lanes (2000) Mr. Jo, Mr. Yang, Pat, Jason, Dan, Brian |
 Behind Base Finance Oriental House (2000) Becky, Barbara, Ms. Cho, Dan (2000) |

Base Finance Building (2000)
Mr. Kang, Pat, Dan(CourtesyDan Rea)
Click on Photo to Enlarge
In June 1999, he wrote, "Next week Patrick (a friend from work), James (a guy
who just got here) and I are going out for Airbase Defense Training (or
Security Augmentee or plane watchers or rivet counters, whatever you want to
call it). Some how got "volunteered" for fun duty. But, Patrick is a former
Security Police troop so he said he has some hook-ups to keep us outta the
dirty jobs!"
On 16 October 1999 he wrote, "The same month, we had our first Base Exercise. I
was on night duty in charge of a Fire Team (a security team that drives around
the base in a Humvee searching for "Coyotes" [the bad guys] and keeping an eye
on our troops in the Defensive Fighting Positions). We all got Cammied up and
donned the helmets and gas masks; "played war" for 4 days straight. Man were we
rough. At one point, the rest of my team had been on other duties, when a call
came in telling me to go to the Transportation Squadron to check on some gun
fire heard. I hadn't done anything like that before, so it was a fun challenge.
I got some other guys from another Fire Team to scout with me and we went
inside and saw that a sniper had some troops pinned behind some vehicles. We
called to the Command Post and had them send an Armored vehicle to the scene so
we could get a better shot at the "coyote". Man, I'll tell U what, it was 5 in
the morning and I was dead tired, but that's something that gets the blood
rushing and energy going. Long story short, we got the guy, but lost 2 of ours
and I slept all weekend long afterwards!"
On 21 November 1999 he wrote, "There were 14 of us volunteered to be on the
OpFor Team (Opposing Forces or the Bad Guys). What a blast! We went all around
base terrorizing the look out posts and infiltrating the different squadrons on
base. We dressed up in camo and dark clothes and snuck around during the night
trying to find the weak points around and to see who was sleeping! It wasn't
easy work though; our hours were basically all day and all night with scenarios
running every hour or so. We'd plan on the attack, set out to find the
locations, either destroy the Good Guys (Defenders) or get killed or captured.
Afterward, we'd head back to camp, clean weapons, reload ammo, check out the
next target and MAYBE get some sleep. We had some cots and GI sleeping bags.
This went on for 3 days before we were able to take a break, get a shower and a
few hours of real sleep. Then back to the games for the last 3 days."
He went on, "Some of the scenarios were like this: head along the outside ridge
of the base and go through some of the Korean villages to get a closer look at
the fence lines and check on the posts to see if they were watching for us. If
we didn't get shot at, it was a good sign that they had no idea! We’d get right
up along the fence and fire up the post and more than likely take them out
before they knew what happened. We’d cut through the fence and sneak on base to
the next targets. Of course by this time, the Fire Teams would be out scouting
for us and the base sirens would go off."
He added, "Sometimes they'd drive us to a certain location and (insert) us (as
if we had gotten on base to that point) and attack some unsuspecting building.
We’d take out Comm and the Hospital on a couple raids, but they caught on after
a while. Hehe One of the inserts we took over the hospitals bunkers (and me and
one of the other guys got our picture taken for the base news paper!). Of
course, they made us give up so we could see how they handled enemy prisoners.
That’s another funny story, but I'll send the picture and it'll say it all!
Hehe"

Christmas Party Kae Chong Orphanage (1999)
(CourtesyDan Rea)
Click on Photo to EnlargeIn March 2000, he started feeling "short" with three months to go. He wrote,
"Things in Korea have been pretty constant the last few months; many of my
friends have left and a lot of new faces are showing up all the time. We've
been hit with a lot of War Games lately preparing us for a big exercise later
this year. We also had an inspection team come thru to check out our base, as
we are currently in the final runnings for "Best Base in the Air Force". We are
waiting for the team to evaluate the last base (in Italy) before we find out
the results. I actually had to give a speech to one of the Colonels on how we
operate in the Finance office and what we do for the base. I was really
nervous, but the speech went great. (I'm glad I had just taken that speech
class a couple months ago!!) hehehe"
He wrote on 28 April 2000, "Finally, this past week, we had our final War Games
before our big inspection. Everything seemed to go well and we passed this one,
so the inspection should go alright. I worked in the Enemy Prisoners of War
camp where we take any prisoners we get and place them in holding cells. We'll
get some interrogators out there, but for the most part, they just sit tight
until the War is over. I'll have some pictures of "War-Man Dan" on the INet
soon. Didn't get to kill anyone this time, but it was still fun chasin' 'em
down! Hehehe"
In May 2000, Dan headed out to RAF Mildenhall, England. In his farewell entry,
he included an humorous anonymous letter of a "short-timer" that sums up the
feelings of all who have put in their time at the Kun.
Dear friends and family,
From the deepest, darkest depths of South Korea, that rainy, murky,
sweltering, rice paddy covered, mosquito infested pearl of the Far East known
as Kunsan Air Base, comes the joyous, near hysterical announcement that soon,
very soon, your loved one/friend will once again be in your midst to take his
place in society as a respectable human being.
I have survived the worst the Far East has to offer, thousands of unknown bugs
and spiders, vicious mosquitoes, rats the size of cats, aggressive flies,
poisonous snakes without names or serums, the Korean Krud, and the
claustrophobia of a gas mask. I have been dehydrated, demoralized,
interrogated, intoxicated, unappreciated, and uncivilized. If I appear to
exhibit certain oriental mannerisms its because I’m suffering from too much
rice, OB beer, SoJu, white dogs, green slime, AMMO bowls, kimchee, dried squid
and yakimahndo; but most of all, loneliness and depression. Don’t worry, these
will end in time given a generous dosage of patience, understanding, and tender
loving care.
In preparing to welcome me back to civilization, you must make a few
allowances for the crude environment I’ve been subjected to for the past 12
months. Try to be a good listener as I unfold my horror stories, which may be
numerous, varied, and generally true. I have been around the world and back,
having witnessed some of the most bizarre things imaginable. I have seen many a
sad sight, heard many a sad tale, but mine, inevitably, will be the saddest of
all. Some of my behavioral patterns have undergone radical alterations, but you
may find me completely unaware that my habits are out of the ordinary. Once
again please remember, "Patience is the key to successful rehabilitation."
Show no alarm if I prefer to squat, rather than to sit in a chair. I will tend
to remove my shoes before entering a house. Remain calm when I insist on
sleeping on the floor with my clothes on. I may stare in fascination at any
building over three stories high. Be lenient when I try to buy everything at
half the market price, and accuse the salesperson of being a thief. Don’t be
surprised if I answer any and all questions with "I HATE THIS !@#$$%^&*
PLACE!!!". Pretend not to notice if I pour gravy on my mixed vegetables, or add
hot sauce to just about everything else. Don’t be amazed when I stare in wonder
at fresh bread and milk. Please don’t get mad if I carry toilet paper
everywhere I go, this is a commodity in Korea that can be used as currency in
case of emergency. Pay no attention when I carry my backpack everywhere, even
to the neighbors, as this has been faithfully by my side for 12 months, and has
become a part of me. Also, take it with a smile when I go everywhere with a
flashlight, I’m expecting the lights to go out at any minute.
You will find my manner of speaking is radically different than it used to be,
and sometimes may be totally incomprehensible. I may speak a mixture of
English, Spanish, Korean, Filipino, Indonesian, Russian, and bits of other
languages as well. I may lapse into English occasionally, but that will only
happen if I am talking to a close friend or relative, and then only after it
has been established and confirmed that I’m talking to a real American. When I
meet someone for the first time, I will likely bow at the waist and say
something like, "AN YOUNG HA SAY OH." During the course of everyday
conversations I will probably use strange words like YOBO, FIGMO, DMZ, GREEN
BEAN, YELLOW BEAN, BROWN BEAN, PALI-PALI, YOBO SAYO, A-TOWN, THE VILL, AHJIMA,
AHDASHEE, and many other things that make no sense to you but are very near to
my heart. I may tend to talk to most people with exaggerated hand gestures and
in a simplified, almost childlike language. I may also suffix my words with
strange endings such as, "cashee", "changee", and "finishee". Try to endure
these variations with courage and patience and soon I will be able to
communicate with the general public with relative ease.
There is one thing I must warn you about: the excessive, colorful adjectives,
adverbs, and expletives that have been an integral part of my vocabulary. With
gentle admonishment and reminders my profanity will eventually wane to a level
of acceptance among mixed groups and scrupulous neighbors.
To minimize the dangers of cultural shock, and keep me from hurting others and
myself the following actions are strongly recommended. DO NOT, repeat DO NOT,
at any time ask me if I have managed to save money while in Korea. Because of
culture shock, I may become semi-catatonic and begin to mumble something about
club bill, slot machines, class VI, loans to ex-friends, gifts for departing
friends, kimchee cabs and buses, Popeye’s chicken, mink blankets, starter
jackets, leather coats, Wolfpack Wheels tickets, and too many parties. Do not
make flattering remarks about the great food provided for the troops overseas,
or say anything about Korea, as this could trigger an awesome display of
violence. NEVER, NEVER, say the words "RECALL" or "EXERCISE" above a whisper,
and if an ambulance or fire truck happens to be within range and it's siren is
going, DO NOT make an attempt to stop me because I'm probably running around
looking for a ditch to dive into. When crossing the street take care of me, as
I have become completely oblivious to car horns, buses, motorcycles, bicycles,
push carts, and other various forms of transportation that are common to Korea.
In order to make me more comfortable in what seems like an alien environment
the following actions are suggested. For the first ten days serve nothing but
roast beef, either rare or too well done, with plenty of fat (this is known as
steamship round and tastes like the ship was long overdue). Don't serve milk
fresher than two weeks old or bread that bounces. Never allow more than one
piece of silverware per meal, and be sure it is bent, tarnished, or filthy (a
plastic spoon is best). Pour generous amounts of chlorine into the drinking
water, this is the taste that I have become accustomed to. Plug the drain in
the shower so the water rises to my knees. Be sure to turn the hot water off
intermittently, and at your discretion, add a few bursts of scalding hot water
followed by immediate loss of water pressure. When washing clothes, add one or
two cups of dirt to the water to maintain that yellowish look that I have
gotten so used to. Have the TV and radio adjusted so that only one station can
be received, and try to ensure plenty of static. Make sure someone slams a door
every half-hour while I am trying to sleep. Every evening about 7pm, open all
the windows and doors to let in as many mosquitoes as possible, as I am
accustomed to sleeping with them. Never allow the temperature in the house to
fall below 95 degrees in the summer or above 40 in the winter. If I insist on
putting the refrigerator in the bedroom do not discourage me, this is where I'm
used to seeing it and eventually realize that it belongs in that empty space in
the kitchen. Ignore me if I eye the pooch hungrily and mumble something to the
effect of "GOTTA GET ME SOME KAY-GOKI!" Please don't question me when I decide
to ride my beat up bicycle to work instead of driving the new car. I have
developed a fondness for bicycles, so have all the neighborhood kids buzz me
periodically, being sure they issue no warning and are traveling at least 30
mph. If at all possible, make some craters and trenches in the lawn and
surrounding area. I'm in the habit of negotiating them in a drunken state at
night and cannot maneuver in a straight line or on level terrain. Be sure to
start at least two rumors a day about someone I know or work with, at least one
of these rumors should be particularly vicious and of a personal nature.
In other words, I may have the jitters, jumps or twitches, but I will not be
lonely, depressed, or unhappy. I may have changed, but inside I am still the
same person who left. Because of an entire year away from home, you can be sure
nothing is as important to me as being back. Be patient with me and try to help
me as much as you can, but be careful not to try too hard. Fear not, it has
been proven time and time again that "Koreanitis" is not permanent – it can be
cured in time with a little patience and lots of tender loving care.
In conclusion, put clean sheets on the (twin) bed, fill the fridge, set an
extra place at the table, send no more mail to PSC 2 Box 2003, APO AP 96264
because…
I'M COMING HOME!!!!!

OpFor with Night Vision Goggles:
Foal Eagle 99 (Spring 99) (Air Force Photo)
Electronic Counter-Measures Backshop: When talking of maintenance, we sometimes forget about the "Back Shop" people. MSgt John Jones wrote, "One big happy family. This is the Avionic flight. It is composed of the
Integrated Avionics Intermediate Shop also known as (I think I got it right)
also known as AIS and of course Electronic Warfare Systems EWS." The AIS is
part of the 8th Maintenance Squadron . The following photos are from his webpage, Korean Picture Page .
AIS-EWS Shop (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) | MSgt Jones in Chem Suit in shop (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
"Troop" with his ECM Pod (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) | MSgt Jones (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
Hamburger at Burger King in Camo Paint (1999)(Courtesy MSgt John Jones
(Click on photo to enlarge)
The following pics are courtesy of MSgt John Jones of the Electronic Warfare Shop ("Pod Shop") from his John's Korean Picture Page . The pictures depict some of the more mundane aspects of the base to make life
a little more comfortable.
Burger King scene (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) | Burger King scene (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
Small Commissary (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) | Small Commissary (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
Roach Coach scene (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) | Roach Coach scene (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
O'Malley Dining Hall (Thanksgiving 99) (Click on photo to enlarge) | Son Light Inn (1999) (Click on photo to enlarge) |
Winter of 1999: The pictures of the Water Tower and Wolf Pack Park in the Snow below are from
the home page of The Texas Rogue Homepage . The snow in 1999 was the heaviest seen in ten years. Normally Kunsan will
receive maybe three inches of snow max per year which melts away within a day
or two. The snows of 1999 made the off-base roads treacherous as the snow
melted and refroze at night making driving over some back roads a hair-raising
experience. Luckily on-base they had the snowplows out immediately and kept the
roads clear.
Water Tower (18 Dec 99) | View from Wolf Pack Park (18 Dec 99) |

Panoramic view with OMalley Dining Inn on the left and Dormitories on the right
(18 Dec 99) (Courtesy Texas Rogue)Visit the The Texas Rogue Homepage for more photos of older domitories.
F-16C Postflight at KunsanThe pictures below were excerpted from the home page of Mike Gambill from Bakersfield, California. The aircraft photos are of his incentive flight.

Mike Gambill's flight in a F-16D (1999)
(Click on photos to enlarge)
A lull in the exercise (1999)
(Click on photos to enlarge)

| Exercise puts bomb disposal team to the test -- A dummy Scud missile, found at
the base theater, requires inspection by explosive ordnance disposal team
member Senior Airman Jake Smith during a recent exercise at Kunsan Air Base,
Republic of Korea. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Teri Fountain) (Jul 99) (NOTE: The new
construction in background was the new 1x1 Barracks completed in May 2000.)
(From AFPN ) |

| Commando Sling exercise tests, trains U.S., Singapore pilots -- PAYA LEBAR AIR
BASE, Singapore (AFPN) -- Capt. Rob Tofil, an F-16 pilot from the 8th Fighter
Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, conducts pre-flight inspection of his
aircraft before a mission during exercise Commando Sling here. The objectives
of the exercise are to fulfill U.S. commitment for continuous presence in
Singapore, test long range mobilization ability of deploying U.S. forces, and
maximize dissimilar air combat training between U.S. Air Force F-16 and
Singapore air force F-16 and F-5 aircraft. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis)
(Oct 99) (From AFPN ) |
 SSgt Rhett Engstrum with Aim9 Combat Sling (Oct 99) (Air Force Photo) |

| Kunsan team developed a new painting action. Prior to painting, U.S. Air Force
Senior Airman James Harrell, from Salem, Indiana, a corrosion control
specialist of the 8th Maintenance Squadron, applies masking tape to all
nonpainted surfaces of a F-16C "Fighting Falcon" from the 8th Fighter Wing,
Kunsan Air Base. The Kunsan team developed a new action workout that saves U.S.
taxpayers 75,000 dollars per plane painted, and shortens the turnaround time by
four days. A six-man team of specialists is utilizing Osan Air Base, also in
the Republic of Korea, while a new painting facility is constructed at Kunsan
AB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Lance Cheung) (Aug 99) (From AFPN ) |

Female ROKAF Academy cadets visit Kunsan (2 Dec 1999)
Land Mine Field near Kunsan AB (Aug 99)
(From My Year in Korea )

President Bill Clinton Signs Defense Authorization Bill (1999)
A man busy with worries of Monica Lewinski, impeachment
and "nation-building" throughout the world
still finds time to authorize a modest budget increase for defense
-- after years of gutting the military.| "The Clinton administration misused military power during its first year in
office in Somalia and then in Haiti; the results were needless American deaths
in the first instance and a poorly planned, aborted mission in the second.
Morale was low, and recruitment and retention posed problems. Cuts in defense
spending to help balance the federal budget went too far in some cases — until
the Republican Congress stepped in and insisted on adding money for the
Pentagon. And the Clinton administration and the uniformed military struggled
with how to sustain numerous small missions overseas without overusing certain
parts of the armed forces." -- Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow at the
Brookings Institution |
Main Gate Protestors Viewpoint: The demonstrations continued at the gate every Friday. Actually, we should say
there were protests when the weather was good, but if it was cold, snowy, wet
-- or any of the other bad weather that Kunsan is noted for -- no demonstrators
showed up. These protestors are a group of about 100 land-owners near the base
who wish to have their land useage back, but are prevented by the Korean
three-mile exclusionary zone. The land is restricted to farm useage and cannot
be developed commercially. If they got their land useage back, these land
owners would all be instant millionaires. To bolster their numbers, they joined
with other groups supporting various causes. In 1999, the Korean demonstrators
(followers of Minister Moon Jyung Hyun) published a page on the web entitled,
"Not Prepared." It is filled with a lot of half-truths and some real lapses in
logic. We've added our own notes in blue. However, you read it and make up your own mind. It read:
Our Request for Regaining of Territorial Rights in the Kunsan U.S. Military
AirbaseTHE US ARMED FORCES SHOULD REVISE THE SOFA ON FULL SCALE INSTANTLY!!!
-THE CIVILIAN GATHERING FOR REGAINING OF THE TERRITORIAL RIGHTS IN THE KUNSAN
U.S. MILITARY AIR BASE (REGAIN)-
The U.S armed forces should revise the SOFA on full scale instantly. The
civilian organization whose aim is taking back the territorial rights on the
Kunsan U.S. militarity base requests the following to the U.S. The U.S armed
forces' 54-year long stationing in Korea has resulted in forcing the Korean
people to give up their human rights and lose sovereignty. First, the R.O.K.
armed forces is under the command of the U.S. Secondly, the Korean victims have
no legal rights to cope with the crimes committed by the American soldiers.
Third, massive environmental destruction on our land has been undergoing on the
basis of the disgraceful SOFA.
SOFA is an administrative agreement reached between Korea and U.S. armed forces
in 1948 which thereafter has been revised several times. And yet there are
article which limit the rights of Korea. It is an unfair treaty. Accordingly in
November 1995, the two countries planned to begin the negotiations for revision
and to finalize it by Jan., 1996. However, the negotiation has not been settled
until now long after the due date because of the high-handed manners of the
USAF and the passive attitude of Korean government to reach an agreement. (NOTE: This is a tack-on from the other groups who joined the Land Owner group.
This is nonsense as the USAF at Kunsan has nothing to do with the SOFA
negotiations -- that is the USFK in Seoul. However, the truth is that there was
NOT a SOFA until 1963. As to the supposed SOFA instrument initiated in 1948 --
if it exists -- under the U.S. Military Government (Occupation Forces), it is
worthless flotsam. The first substantive revision took place in 1987 AFTER the
Koreans had become one of the four dragons of Asia -- and could be pressured to
pay their fair share for THEIR defense. Despite the Korean hogwash in the
press, the truth is that the U.S. pays about $15 BILLION for Korea's
defense...the same as the Koreans spend on their own defense. The Koreans
aren't passive...they just don't want to increase their share. The Korean press
tries to mask the facts by using deceptive pie-charts and percentages...but
never comparing real dollar amounts.)
THE CIVILIAN GATHERING FOR REGAINING OF THE TERRITORIAL RIGHTS IN THE KUNSAN
U.S. MILITARY AIR BASE (REGAIN) whose aim is taking back the territorial rights
on Kunsan U.S. army base (standing representative: Fr. Moon Jyung Hyun)
requests the above mentioned and will have meetings in front of Kunsan U.S.
army base every Friday in connection with laborers, farmers and civilians. May
7, 1999 is the first anniversary of the meeting. In recent peaceful Friday meeting some members of the organization have got
injured as the police the people with force. ("Peaceful" is a relative word to the protestors. Like the time, they
"peacefully" cut the main gate locks with bolt cutters in 1996.)
Revoke the specification on the excessive rights for the U.S armed forces to
use facilities and areas in Korea. And turn it back to Korea at once. Since the
private owned land surrounding the U.S. army base are provided to the U.S.
forces according to the agreement., the landlord cannot exercise their rights
on their land and cannot even build new buildings on it. Furthermore, they have
to give their private owned land to the U.S. forces upon their request. (NOTE: Still haven't figured out this one. We agree that the camptowns around some Army bases like "Little Chicago" in Tongduchon outside Camp Casey abutt the camp -- as does most Army camps. However, Kunsan and Osan do have a three-mile exclusionary zone. One can argue that the three-mile exclusionary zone is a dinosaur of the past when there was nuclear arms at Kunsan and Osan for the PACAF SIOP nuclear alerts. These alerts were done away with in 1992 -- but it appears that someone is keeping the door open for the nukes to come back...or something. Regardless, the bottom line is that the ball is in the Korean government court to take action -- NOT the U.S. government.
In addition, the activists do NOT mention how many ROK military installations are located within this three-mile exclusionary zone. If anyone is really interested, I ask them to take a REAL close look. Two hilltops that I know of within a 1/2 mile of base are occupied by ROK units -- plus there is a ROK ammunition supply storage area. Other larger army units occupy sites to the east and south of Kunsan AB at the edge of the three mile zone. I wonder why they are not protesting there? Perhaps it is because the ROK military is not as tolerant as the USAF -- who is afraid of the bad press.)
In addition, the activists do NOT mention how many ROK military installations are located within this three-mile exclusionary zone. If anyone is really interested, I ask them to take a REAL close look. Two hilltops occupied by ROK Army units are within a 1/2 mile of base -- plus there is a ROK ammunition supply storage area. Other larger army units occupy sites to the east and south of Kunsan AB at the edge of the three mile zone. I wonder why they are not protesting there? Perhaps it is because the ROK military is not as tolerant as the USAF -- who is afraid of the bad press.
The bottomline is that the Americans have NOTHING to do with this requirement at this time. This is a KOREAN MILITARY requirement for a three-mile exclusionary zone around THEIR bases. Even bases such as Yongsan have exclusionary zones around it. If the Koreans want to change it, they could simply legislate it. It would be interesting if the political action groups could offer PROOF that the U.S. was specifically requesting the three-mile exclusionary zone.
Pay rent for the U.S. army base. Among the many countries where U.S. military
forces are stationing, the R.O.K. is the only country which provides the
facilities and areas free and without time limit. The declared value of the
land (260 million square miles) provided free is 10 billion dollars. They
should set up the period of lease and pay rent for the base in Korea. (NOTE: Have never been able to figure this out as well. Why are they protesting
to the USAF? The 8th FW has to sign off on the "Host-Tenant" agreement as a
TENANT. The 38th Fighter Group is the HOST and owns the base. They allow the
TENANT 8th Fighter Wing to continue operations there. Yes, the truth is that
the ROKAF benefits immensely from the "free" base infrastructure and its upkeep
that the USAF provides, but that doesn't change the fact that they are the
HOST. The Korean government owns the base. The protest should be aimed at the
ROKAF who owns the base.)
Root out the crimes by the American soldiers stationed in Korea. The R.O.K. has
little jurisdiction over the crimes by the U.S. servicemen. It is almost
impossible for the victims to demand reasonable damages because of the
one-sided agreement. The R.O.K.'s rights to arrest and investigate, to have
jurisdiction over and to execute the U.S servicemen committed crimes should be
completely guaranted along with the rights to claim for damages. (NOTE: This is a muck-up-the-waters non-issue to build up the case of altering
the SOFA. The largest crime for Americans soldiers in Korea is that they don't
pay their traffic tickets before they depart. However, many Koreans want to
have a SOFA agreement similar to Japan's. However, they don't want to pay the
same price tag the Japanese pay. Korea is too cheap. Though its share has
slowly increased in recent years, it still far below the proportionate share of
other developed countries -- with the exception of the NATO free-ride nations.
Though major crimes (rape, murder, arson) are very rare, it is a serious issue
as there are large differences between both nation's criminal systems. The
Korean system is based on the rights of society, while America's system is
based on the rights of the individual. Currently the SOFA gives jurisdiction to
the ROK for USFK personnel accused of major crimes (rape, murder, arson), but
the USFK retains control for minor crimes (assault). But the biggest thing
these protestors want is NOT the right to sue the U.S. for perceived damages in
the Korean court system. That they can already do. Their problem is that they
can't collect monetary claims under the provisions of the SOFA.)
Solve the problem of the environmental pollution and of noise. The SOFA
stipulates that the U.S. armed forces does not have the responsibility to
restore the U.S. base facilities and areas to the original state when they
return it. The agreement gives the ground the USAF to escape from the
responsibilities for the environmental destruction. Korean government's
powerful rights to investigate and to restrict activities of polluting the
environment on and around and U.S. army bases should be acquired. (NOTE: This is a tack-on issue from the Environmental groups which joined the
Land Owners Group. This is a major issue, BUT NOT AT KUNSAN. The environmental
groups got this idea from America's SuperFund (at bases throughout America) --
and West Germany's cleanup programs (in East Germany). Under the Land
Partnership Program, the USFK has started turning back unused land without
cleanup. The Koreans seek to get this provision in SOFA, but if it did the U.S.
can expect some sort of multi-billion dollar Super Fund to be set up. The USFK
negotiators would have to have a grapefruit for a brain to step into this
quicksand.)
We hope that you agree with our requests and to support us. And we cordially
ask you to take pains to deliver our messages to the organizations guarding the
human rights and peace around the world and to the U.S. government or to the
state department of the U.S.
The following is an open letter by Kim Young-Ock of the Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights (South Korea) on the Political Situation of Korea The Present Political Situation of Korea, October 1999
By Kim, Young-Ock
The Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights (South Korea)
Since President Dae-jung Kim was elected in December, 1997, there has been much anticipation from the people of Korea. President Kim himself in the past was a victim of human rights oppression, so everyone expected that democracy in Korea would be better off under his government. But this expectation has been proven to be naive. To describe the situation simply, under President Kim's government the state of human rights in Korea is declining. The worst part of this is that the livelihood of people such as labourers and farmers, is threatened. This is because President Kim accepted the structural reform project of the I.M.F.
1. Since the IMF project in Korea, the situation of workers has severely deteriorated. Under the pretext of increasing economic power and efficiency, the number of full-time employees is decreasing, part-time work is increasing, and the number of unemployed is skyrocketing. In addition, the progressive Korean Council of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KFTU) who are the two leading labor organizations in Korea, took part in the tripartite committee (composed of representatives of government, business and labor). The labor representatives accepted layoffs, which resulted in a great number of labourers being sacked. In addition to that, the laborers' right to strike in protest to layoffs was strongly curtailed. The ideology that saving the nation's economy was more important than the livelihood of laborers was promoted by the government and the mass media. The government declared all strikes against layoffs as illegal. Since last year, the strikes by large-scale places of business such as Hyundai Motors, Mando Machine Company and the Seoul-Subway Corporation, brought severe repression from the government. As a result, a huge number of labourers are unemployed, and the union leaders are in hiding from the police or have been sent to prison. At the present time in Korea, 1,200 labourers of Halla Heavy Industry (which constructs large vessels) have been on a strike for over 50 days. They are continuing the strike despite the continued threat of police intervention.
2. The people's disappointment with President Kim's performance does not end here. Kim promised as a election pledge that he would abolish the National Security Law. In Korea, the National Security Law is used to jail prisoners of conscience or those who hold progressive views. We feel this law is for the government's security, not for the nation's security. This law has infringed upon freedom of conscience, thought and expression which is guaranteed by constitutional law. In Korea, for example, no one dares say "I am a socialist", because such a person would be arrested immediately under the National Security Law. This law has been used as a tool to suppress the progressive movements in Korea. It has been the most powerful law in suppressing the movement for reunification, the labor movement and the movement to build a progressive party as well as other progressive movements. President Kim was oppressed by this law. Therefore, the people expected that he would keep this promise first. But the ruling party of which President Kim is the leader decided to change only some parts of the law, but not to abolish the law. In this situation, 30 Catholic priests of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ), including Kyu-hyeon Mun and Jeong-hyeon Mun began a 25-day fast at Myung-dong Cathedral in Seoul. They declared that the National Security Law must be abolished during this year's regular session of the National Assembly (to be held from September to December). This high profile fast resulted in the organization of the National Security Law Abolition Council composed of 261 NGO's in Korea. Also, the priests of the Chunju Catholic Diocese decided to join the struggle to abolish the National Security Law. Every Catholic church in the diocese became involved, putting up placards and even holding a prayer meeting supervised by the Bishop himself. Subsequently, Protestant pastors participated in the fast and struggle, which is going on as we speak. Thus, everywhere in Korea struggles to abolish the National Security Law are breaking out. Despite all this, the government has not made any real response to this situation. Just recently, the Nogeun-ri slaughter of many innocent people was disclosed to the world by the AP (Associated Press). This killing was done by soldiers of the American Army who participated in the Korean War (1950 to 1953). The 400 Nogeun-ri inhabitants were slaughtered under the principle of the American Military Authorities which was to "Regard the refugees on the border as enemy force". The victims there included mostly children, women and elderly people. Survivors demanded that both the government of Korea and the US disclose the true facts of the case, but they were ignored. Finally, however, the truth was brought to the world by the AP. The Korean people have had another pain in their heart since 1953 when the war ended, which is the issue of US Armed forces in Korea. The US Armed Forces in Korea are committing crimes in the average of 5 cases per day which results in about 1500 cases a year, most which are felonies including rape, buglary and homicide. In spite of this, the Korean victims cannot put the American soldiers on trial or demand damages for the wrongs done against them. This is because of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which is an agreement regarding the status of US Armed Forces in the Republic of Korea. The US Armed Forces are stationed outside of America in countries including Germany, Japan and Philippines, and the US makes agreements with each of those governments regarding the status of the US armed foces in those countries. However, the SOFA is a most unequal and unfair agreement. According to the SOFA, even in matters of murder, Koreans cannot have jurisdiction regarding the case. The criminal must be handed over the American military authorities, and the Korean court cannot make the American Soldier stand trial. Therefore, American soldiers don't have an awareness of the gravity of crimes, so the number of criminal acts continually increase every year. Also the US forces are using 477 milion square meters of Korean territory for free (with no rental fee). In the SOFA, there is no definite period of time stipulated for American forces' use of Korean territory. Thus if the government of Korea asks the US Forces to leave, and the US refuses the leave, there is no law governing this issue. The SOFA is clearly a very unfair agreement.
On October 6th, 1999, people gathered together to call for amendment of the unfair SOFA agreement. A total of 127 organizations who work for peace gathered and created an organization called the "Peoples' Action for Amendment of the Unequal SOFA". The Peoples' Action group criticized SOFA, declaring that "the SOFA, which was begun under special conditions during the Korean War, is still being maintained and is now threatening the human rights and peace of the nation." The Peoples' Action group is planning to hold a signature campaign and will gather in protest to the SOFA in front of the US Embassy once a month. Also, they will appeal to amend the SOFA, sending an official document to the US Administration, to the parliament of each nation and to N.G.Os. Thus the Republic of Korea is ceaselessly at war, struggling for equality, freedom, human rights and peace. The progressive forces in Korea hope to contribute to the human rights and peace of the world as well as of Korea. And they work passionately to attain this even at the risk of imprisonment.
The Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights (SPHR), for whom I work, is one of those organizations. This solidarity is located in Chunju City, Chollabuk-Do, in the southwestern part of Korea. This organization participates in issues of human rights and peace in our area and it also informs our local community about important issues of the country and the world. We have been publishing a weekly human rights newspaper, "Peace and Human Rights", for 5 years. My organization has two representatives. Father Kyu-hyun Mun, who participated in the fast and struggle for abolition of the National Security Law, is one of the representatives. The Solidarity is not a Catholic organization, and we pay attention to the following issues: the release of prisoners of conscience, abolition of the National Security Law, protection of local people from the US Armed forces, protection of the human rights of prisoners, and the rights of laborers to a decent livelihood.
There is a US base in Kunsan about 1 hour from my town. In front of the base, the local people gather every Friday. The main purpose of the gathering is to call for amendment of the SOFA. The weekly gathering began in December 1997, and has continued until October 1999 without fail. It is led by an organization called "Citizens' Group to Recover our Territory from the Kunsan U.S. Army Base." The representative of this organization is Father Jeong-hyeon Mun. During one of these demonstrations, Fr. Mun and two women activists were handcuffed and held for an hour by the U.S. military authorities. In spite of being in his 60s, Fr. Mun is and has been fighting passionately for human rights and peace since the time of the military government in the 1970s. We are working together, and will be together in this fight for human rights and peace. Thank you.

Rev. Mun in face-to-face confrontation with Police (Apr 2002)
(Click on image to enlarge)
(From Tongil.news)
Korea Should Start Paying Their Own Way: There is a growing U.S. trend in thinking that Korea should start footing more
and more of the bill for its defense. The people are getting tired of Korea on
one hand claiming poor-mouth ("we have no money") but at the same time
supporting protectionist Chaebols.
People are now starting to feel that President Jimmy Carter back in 1979 had
the right idea...but for a different reason. In 1979, Jimmy Carter's heartburn
was with the human rights violations of the Park Chung-Hee regime. He was
forced to back away because of regional developments and later retracted his
stance.
However, now the impetus deals with "cost-sharing" and Korea's ability to foot
the bill. Ever since Korea emerged as one of the four dragons of Asia,
journalists and scholars have been asking this question in various articles and
editorials. The following article from USA Todayis just one of many that have surfaced recently.
SOUTH KOREA Should Be Kicked Off the U.S. Defense Dole.
Author/s: Doug Bandow
Issue: March, 1999
Should Be Kicked Off the U.S. Defense Dole
"Seoul and Washington should negotiate a phased withdrawal of American forces
and termination of the Mutual Defense Treaty, replacing them with a cooperative
military and political relationship among equals."
The world may have become a friendlier place for democracy, but the Republic
of Korea (ROK) is finding the transition to be tempestuous. South Korea's
economy has crashed, as Seoul pays the price for decades of crony capitalism.
Political turbulence has arrived with the election of outsider Kim Dae Jung as
president.
Yet, this stormy passage also represents something else--the ROK's maturation
from adolescent to adult. A decade ago, Seoul was ruled by a military
dictatorship. Mass street protests forced elections in 1987. Kim, the grand old
man of Korean politics (running in his fourth campaign), won by a razor-thin
margin in a vote badly splintered by region. Politics almost certainly will
remain highly fractious in coming years, but the country no longer seems
unstable.
Economic progress has been even greater. Years of double-digit growth have
moved South Korea into the lower ranks of industrialized states. Although the
ROK's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) trails those of Hong Kong, Japan,
and Taiwan, Seoul has jumped ahead of most of its neighbors. South Korea's
recent economic travails actually highlight its success in having become a
major participant in the international system. The ROK simply has paid the
price of extensive government subsidies to the major chaebols (industrial
conglomerates).
Despite its economic and political growth, Seoul remains underdeveloped
internationally. Militarily, South Korea essentially is where it was in
1953--dependent on Washington. The U.S maintains a Mutual Defense Treaty that
is mutual in name only, stations 37,000 soldiers on the peninsula, and backs up
its commitment with forces throughout the Pacific and at home. All told,
Americans spend as much to defend the ROK--about $15,000,000,000 annually--as
the South Koreans do.
The genesis of the Korean commitment was the messy conclusion of World War II
and the ensuing Cold War. Artificially divided between U.S. and Soviet
occupation, the Korean peninsula erupted into an internationalized civil war in
1950. Three years of combat left the borders largely unchanged, but the truce
never was turned into a peace treaty and the two Koreas remain formally at war.
U.S. forces have acted as the ROK's ultimate guarantor ever since.
There were two keys to Seoul's success. The first was to move in a broadly
market-oriented direction. South Korean-economic policy never was
laissez-faire, but the ROK generally relied on private entrepreneurship and
export-driven growth. This contrasted sharply with Pyongyang's autarchic
economic policies, which have led to near economic collapse.
Almost as critical was the South's decision not to respond to the North's
military buildup. The ROK Ministry of National Defense acknowledges that Seoul
did not begin its "force improvement program" until "12 years later than North
Korea." Instead, South Korea "concentrated on its economic and social
development" despite the dire military threat from the North.
This strategy worked. The ROK has about 24 times the GDP of North Korea. South
Korea has twice the North's population, the ability to borrow heavily in
international markets, and extensive high-tech industries. The Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) welshed on its international debts, has been
suffering through several years of negative growth, and can not feed its own
population. Indeed, a vast amount of people in the North are starving.
Equally significant, Seoul has stolen away North Korea's allies. Russia is
paying off its debts to the South with military equipment, while China has far
more trade with and investment from the South than the North. Pyongyang even is
losing the allegiance of the Korean community in Japan, which long has provided
the North with much of its hard currency. The matchup between the two Koreas
could be compared to a battleship vs. a Chinese junk.
Yet, South Korea continues to be an American defense dependent. Seoul possesses
a potent military, and the DPRK's military deficiencies are legion. CIA
Director George Tenet told the U.S. Senate that "The [North Korean] military
has had to endure shortages of food and fuel, increased susceptibility to
illness, declining morale, often sporadic training, and a lack of new
equipment." The North, however, possesses a significant numerical edge. Simple
weight of numbers could lead to the destruction of Seoul even if North Korea
ultimately (and quickly) lost the war.
Such problems don't bother officials in either Seoul or Washington as long as
the U.S. protects the South. This continuing defense dependence seems to be
leading, in turn, to economic dependence. South Korea was a major recipient of
aid into the 1970s; not until 1969 did the South cover more than half the cost
of its own defense budget. Washington still was providing significant amounts
of security-oriented aid as late as 1986. On top of this was the direct
American military subsidy in the form of the defense commitment and troop
deployments. The ROK spent years investing the cash that it saved in the South
Korean economy.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has organized a $57,000,000,000 bailout
package; another $1,000,000,000 comes from the U.S. in credit guarantees for
the purchase of American agricultural products; and there is a $500,000,000
increase in Export-Import Bank credit insurance. Exactly why America should
spend so much more to help a nation it has aided so much for so many years is
unclear. Nevertheless, South Korea is committed to hanging onto its subsidies,
hiring the usual passel of D.C. lobbyists and publicity agents.
Of course, Seoul needs to reform its economy. Still, there is no reason to
believe that IMF lending is necessary for reform. For 50 years, the IMF has
generated permanent dependency, rather than economic growth. The full range of
necessary changes are more likely to be implemented by nations like South Korea
if they are generated locally, in response to economic crisis, than if imposed
from without, even if accompanied by a de facto bribe. Moreover, fundamental
reform would occur more quickly and completely if the inefficient and often
corrupt managements of failing enterprises were removed, not subsidized. As
former Federal Reserve Governor Lawrence Lindsey points out, "We gain nothing
by giving the present owners and the political system that supported them a
fresh lease on life."
Given the dubious economic rationale for supporting the IMF bailout, the
Clinton Administration resorted to national security arguments for treating
South Korea as a financial as well as military dependent. Treasury Secretary
Robert Rubin maintained that "there are still enormous security concerns for
the United States" in Korea. In December, 1997, he defended the bailout: "We
have a vital national economic and security interest in helping Korea to
restore market stability as soon as possible." Defense Secretary William Cohen
made much the same argument: "If we don't lead on economic issues, we won't be
able to lead on other issues," like security. In short, it is not enough to
create a security umbrella, relieving Seoul of the financial burden of
defending itself. The U.S. must provide economic aid to South Korea to sustain
that security umbrella. Thus, Washington's commitment turns out to be a double
loss.
Unchanging policy
American policy towards the ROK today looks an awful lot like U.S. policy in
1953. It is as if nothing had changed on the peninsula--as if the South still
were recovering from the war; Chinese troops still were stationed in the North;
Pyongyang still challenged South Korea economically; the ROK still suffered
under unpopular military dictatorships; and Seoul still lagged behind the DPRK
in the battle for diplomatic support. It is as if nothing had changed
internationally--as if the Cold War still raged, would-be communist hegemons
still were probing the U.S. for weakness, and the future of Japan and all Asia
still was clouded.
Both Korea and the world have changed, though. It is true that Pyongyang's
difficult straits create a risk of either war or violent implosion.
Nevertheless, South Korea should defend against whatever threat exists. There
is, in fact, nothing to stop the ROK from building a military sufficient to
deter the North. For more than 20 years, South Korean officials, starting with
Pres. Park Chung Hee, have promised that military parity is just a few years
away. Yet, this never has come about because it never had to. The South
continues to concentrate on economic and social development since America
retains its defense shield.
When privately confronted with the possibility of having to defend themselves,
South Korean officials usually respond, "We'd have to spend more," not "We'd be
helpless." Obviously, today might not seem to be an opportune moment for such
an increase, but South Korea never will believe there is an opportune moment.
In 1979, an irritated Pres. Jimmy Carter asked Park why South Korea, with a
much larger economy than the North, did not match the latter's military
spending. Park had no answer. The South continues to believe Washington has an
obligation to pick up the security tab. Even as its officials warn that the
North could implode, South Korea is contemplating significant reductions in
military spending and arms purchases, as well as lowering host nation support
for U.S. troops.
The disparity between the two Koreas has begun to embarrass even some ROK
analysts. Privately, many acknowledge that the American presence no longer is
needed to deter the North. Rather, they say privately, the U.S. should stay to
defend South Korea from Japan!
It is true that, as often has been said, Korea is stuck in a bad neighborhood,
surrounded by major powers that have abused it, but that can be said of many
countries. (Poland, Romania, and even Mexico might make the same argument.)
However, neighborhoods can change. Today, Japanese aggression is about as
likely as an invasion from Mars. Moreover, the South (and especially a united
Korea) could make the costs of any attempted invasion far too high for even a
remilitarized Japan to consider. There is something pitiful about Seoul's
attempt to redirect its Cold War alliance with the U.S. against another close
American ally.
Not only has the Korean balance changed, so has the international context. The
U.S. intervened in the Korean War in 1950 not because of any belief in the
intrinsic importance of the peninsula--the Pentagon and even Gen. Douglas
MacArthur dismissed the ROK as unimportant--but because of Korea's place within
the larger Cold War struggle. No similar threat of world conquest exists today.
A war between North and South Korea would be just that--a war between North and
South Korea. The obvious humanitarian tragedy would generate few security
concerns for the U.S. Presumably, it is for this reason that a majority of Americans oppose the U.S.
commitment to defend South Korea; less than one-third support the current
defense guarantee.
Some analysts contend that America's presence in Korea offers an important
base to promoting regional stability. The State Department's Richard Holbrooke
went so far as to say that the loss of Korea "would be the end of our position
in the entire Pacific." Nevertheless, the ROK has just modest strategic value for the U.S. Washington
could maintain whatever air and naval forces it desired in the region without
bases in Korea, as well as a cooperative relationship with South Korea even in
the absence of a defense guarantee and units based on Korean soil.
Anyway, it is hard to imagine an Asian conflict whereby the U.S. would
intervene with ground forces, making the lone division stationed in the ROK
superfluous. China is--today at least--the most obvious potential military
adversary of America in East Asia, and many U.S. officials maintain that
American forces should remain in a reunified Korea to help contain Beijing.
Even if Washington ended up going to war with China over, say, Taiwan, the Navy
and Air Force would do the heavy fighting. A sizable American ground presence
in South Korea would turn it into a military target, something likely to make
Seoul hesitant to support Washington in such a contingency, just as Japan
lacked enthusiasm for U.S. saber rattling over Taiwan in early 1996.
Moreover, the "stability" argument fails to distinguish between U.S. influence
in East Asia and a defense commitment to the ROK. America would remain the
largest trading partner with the region; retain significant cultural,
historical, and political ties; and could cooperate militarily with allied
states. The U.S. even could intervene militarily if it believed American vital
interests were threatened--say by a potential hegemon that could not be
contained by allied powers. To do so, Washington need not maintain an alliance
and force structure created in a different era to achieve different ends. Nor
need it intervene promiscuously in response to every instance of instability in
a world in which some instability is inevitable.
Indeed, the U.S. ultimately will be more secure if its allies take the lead in
dealing with potential conflicts that have minimal relevance to America.
Letting manpower-rich South Korea take over its own defense would reduce the
likelihood of America finding itself at war. When it comes to the Paracel or
Spratly islands, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines should cooperate among
themselves in responding to China; there is no reason for the U.S. to entangle
itself in a quarrel so lacking in interest to America.
Of course, North Korea remains a scary actor--dangerous and unpredictable.
Provocations continue, but Pyongyang so far has maintained its recent, more
reasonable course. The North has lived up to the essentials of the 1995 nuclear
agreement; apologized for the submarine incident in 1996; quickly released two
villagers who strayed across the Demilitarized Zone in late 1997; joined
four-power talks with China, South Korea, and the U.S.; inaugurated the first
phone and fax lines with the South; and pursued various discussions despite
several high-level defections in 1997. Indeed, the North has taken a number of
steps unthinkable a few years ago, such as allowing a group of women to visit
relatives in Japan, international humanitarian groups to operate in the North
Korean countryside, and South Korean technicians to construct the nuclear
plants under the Framework accord. Inter-Korean trade rose 4.6%, to
$250,000,000, in 1997.
Peace overtures
Modest though these actions may be, they reflect a sea change in North Korea's
once unremitting hostility. The U.S. should continue to offer modest
carrots--fulfill the Framework agreement, drop restrictions on trade and
investment, and move to full diplomatic recognition--to demonstrate that
Pyongyang gains from responsible behavior. (Washington only slightly relaxed
economic sanctions after negotiating the Framework in October, 1994, and the
two countries have spent four years in unsuccessful negotiations over opening
liason offices.) Obviously, the U.S. should take nothing for granted when
dealing with North Korea, but Washington risks little in looking for
opportunities to improve relations.
The U.S. also should offer limited humanitarian aid. The goal should not be to
prop up the North Korean regime, but refusing to help--though tempting, given
the DPRK's awful human rights record--risks losing the larger game of
maintaining peace until the communist regime in Pyongyang disappears. Measured
amounts of aid demonstrate to the North that cooperation with the West gains
more than demands for additional concessions.
In conjunction with Japan and South Korea, Washington should dangle the
possibility of investment, trade, and more aid if Pyongyang undertakes serious
discussions with Seoul. The Basic Agreements signed by the two Koreas in 1991
offer an obvious starting point to reduce the volatility of the still tense
peninsula. The U.S. should indicate that economic ties with American
enterprises would grow naturally once North Korea lost its pariah status. At
the same time, Japan likely would offer an aid package upon normalization of
relations with the DPRK, just as it did with South Korea in 1965. The new Kim
Dae Jung government likely would pay dearly, if more indirectly, to reduce
tensions.
Washington should use the prospect of an American troop withdrawal, something
long demanded by Pyongyang (which pressed to include the U.S. troop presence on
the agenda of the four-power talks), to challenge the North to respond in
kind--by having DPRK forces stand down from the border, for instance, and
demobilizing some units of its extensive, if underequipped, army. The message
should be clear that responding to U.S. disengagement by reducing North Korea's
threat to the South would yield a commensurate reduction in forces facing the
North. If the DPRK refused to reciprocate, Seoul would respond with whatever
military buildup it deemed necessary.
The four-power talks offer an opportunity to end what remains a formal state
of war. It is critical, though, that the U.S. not offer a long-term guarantee
of the peninsula's security, with or without China. Rather, these two powers,
along with Russia and Japan, should pledge mutual noninterference in Korean
affairs, particularly if their respective "client" inaugurated hostilities.
Most important, the U.S. should turn responsibility for South-North relations
over to Seoul. Such a policy shift would offer a way out of today's
unsatisfactory situation. North Korea long has attempted to ignore the ROK in
favor of Washington, while the South has attempted to subordinate U.S. policy
to Seoul's objectives. The result has been significant whining on the part of
the South and complaints by Seoul's American friends. Indeed, with Washington
offering a seemingly permanent and cost-free defense guarantee, the ROK,
according to former U.S. ambassador Richard Sneider, has tended "to ignore or
discount the costs we have to calculate in deciding how to react to North
Korean provocations." The solution is for America to announce plans to
disentangle itself from inter-Korean affairs while promoting good bilateral
relations with both countries (though U.S. ties with South Korea are destined
to remain stronger than those with the North, for economic, historical, and
political reasons).
Placing responsibility for Korea's future, especially reunification, on the
Korean people would encourage South Korea to become a more serious player, both
domestically and internationally. First, Seoul would face pressure to complete
its process of democratization. Second, the South would have to take a more
responsible role internationally. Without the U.S. security umbrella, the ROK
would have an incentive to work through historical hatreds and cooperate with
like-minded states, of which Japan is the prime example.
To alter U.S. policy, especially so dramatically, admittedly would unsettle
policymakers here and abroad, but the world is changing. The U.S. commitment to
Seoul was established during the Cold War, when an aggressive North Korea,
backed by China and the Soviet Union, had the capability and desire to destroy
the South. Today, both sides of the equation have changed. The adversary's
threat is significantly less, and the ally's ability to respond is dramatically
greater.
Such a step back would not be a retreat to "isolationism," the usual term of
opprobrium thrown at anyone who advocates the slightest shift in America's
current foreign policy. The U.S. would retain interests in East Asia,
warranting a continuing active cultural, economic, and political role.
Militarily, the U.S. would retain a mid-Pacific presence with the capability of
intervening in East Asia to aid an allied power, if necessary.
Seoul and Washington should negotiate a phased withdrawal of American forces
and termination of the Mutual Defense Treaty, replacing them with a cooperative
military and political relationship among equals. Then, South Korea's
transformation from child to adult would be complete.
Mr. Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., is a
former Special Assistant to Pres. Ronald Reagan and author of Tripwire: Korea
and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World.
COPYRIGHT 1999 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
ROK Upgrade Programs: The ROK and Great Britain concluded an MOU on data and scientist exchange
between the two countries' Ministry of National Defense. The ROK Minister of
National Defense had an extremely busy time bustling everywhere to meet with
his US, Australian, Chinese, Russian and Japanese counterpart.
ROK Naval Battle: The ROK and North Korean navies were engaged in a battle in the Yellow Sea.
The South claimed that the North made incursions into its territory, while the
North claimed it was in its territorial waters. The problem is that the UN
after the war left the problem of boundaries unsettled -- rather relying on
truce lines which are temporary. Both nations claim their boundaries are either
farther north or south. This time it ended up in a face-off. The only problem
with this was that when you have poised with fingers on the trigger, somebody's
going to fire. The South claims they were attacked first and then the shooting
match began. Numerically the South came out the winner this time, but the root
cause of this incident has not been resolved -- the unsettled boundary.
ROK-Japan Naval Cooperation: The first 'Reconnaissance & salvage exercise for peace' between the naval
force of Korea and Japan. This is significant with so many differences between
the nation. Most young people will say flatly that they "hate" the Japanese.
This is the propaganda that their government has force fed them. However, a
realistic view is that Koreans need the Japanese much more than the Japanese
need Korea. Cooperation and respect would go a long way in diffusing some of
the emotional and almost ridiculous arguments the Koreans foster with the
Japanese.
North Korean Visit by Kim Dae-Jung: President Kim Dae-Jung visited Pyongyang for South-North Summit Meeting (June
13-15). A major visit in the world as the South Korean President went to North
Korea. He was met at the airport by Kim Jong-Il and amid the chants of "Kim
Jong-Il" was whisked away in the motorcade. There was little substance to this
visit, but a great of symbolic importance to both sides. The North Korean
leader promised a return visit to Seoul to cement the "sunshine policies" of
Kim Dae-Jung. Unfortunately, a new US President (George W. Bush) was elected
and all the side deals of Bill Clinton went immediately into the trash can. The
trip never took place and instead the North Korean leader took a train to visit
the Russian leader, Putin.
Conditions in North Korea Worsens: The conditions in North Korea worsens as judged from reports from the Chinese
border with North Korea. One UN relief worker described the famine as "one of
the biggest human tragedies in our lifetime." The following are excerpts from Investigative Research International of a Times Newspaper article:
February 4 1999
James Pringle sees the bitter harvest of Stalinist failure in North Korea
Death rules land the world forgot
Cold, weak and starving North Koreans fleeing a Stalinist land, where oxcarts
trawl city streets for bodies and women starving have stopped marrying and
having babies, facing a nightmare could snuff out their last hopes of gaining
sanctuary in China. 'Evidence of a society that has descended into medieval
barbarism'
Since January 1, Chinese authorities in two border provinces have been
involved in a crackdown and are searching homes. They are calls for fining
Chinese citizens 5,000 yuan (£375), drastic reform the equivalent of a year's
income, if they of give shelter even for one night in the agricultural present
-20C (-3.5F) temperature to North economy Koreans fleeing a civil society that
has broken down and now resembles medieval Europe.
Residents along the Chinese side of the frozen Tumen river dividing China from
the bankrupt Democratic People's Republic of Korea say Chinese police patrols
have warned them: "You must not care if the escapers starve to death. Don't
help them, and don't let them into your homes."
In a situation that is, as one refugee put it, "always worse this year than
last year", these exiles - perhaps 100,000 in number - have none of the
protection provided by international law.
The Chinese policy sends dozens of weeping refugees back across the river,
including bartered North Korean brides smuggled over the border for Chinese
husbands and sold for £125, and stunted orphan children. An atmosphere of fear
and anxiety has gripped the entire 1,000-mile frontier between the two
neighbouring Communist states.
Tears started in the eyes of a 47-year-old North Korean woman as she told me
in a Chinese home where she had been given shelter: "I'm heartsick. I face
certain death if I am returned. They will strangle me or put me in jail or a
labour camp where I will die of hunger and cold."
North Korean refugees, including orphan children, showed me scars where they
had been battered or tortured after being sent back during earlier escapes.
Refugees say 70 per cent of prison inmates die of starvation.
The refugees said that bellicose North Korea, which last month threatened to
wipe out America "for good", had issued an order to the population: "Tighten
your belts until 2004. Prepare for war to liberate the South."
Even North Korean border guards are hungry, refugees said, though this did not
stop them pursuing a shoot-to-kill policy ordered last year by North Korea's
56-year-old dictator, Kim Jong Il, who has gradually consolidated power since
the death of his father, the "Great Leader", Kim Il Sung, in 1994.
Residents of Tumen and other Chinese towns and villages report nightly
shooting along the river that forms the border in this region of deforested
mountains.
From a hillside just above the river, I looked down through binoculars into
the town of You Sen, which has a population of 5,000. In mid-morning, not a
wisp of smoke came from the chimneys of its austere private homes or the six
factories, which stood desolate like tombstones.
There was only a handful of people shuffling in the street, no motor vehicles,
and only a single bicycle. On the outskirts, women were bent double as they
dragged sleds laden with kindling.
Most people, eating only a gruel made from stalks and leaves, and potatoes if
they are lucky, are now too weak to go into the mountains to gather wood. There
were footprints in the snow on top of the ice on the river, proof of nocturnal
crossings. Graves lined the far bank in places, as North Korean troops
patrolled a ridge.
Elsewhere, I watched soldiers break the ice and draw water from the river
about 50 yards from where I stood on the Chinese bank, within hailing distance.
Opposite Musan, a coal-mining town which had a population of 130,000, refugees
hiding in Chinese homes told me that 40,000 miners were out of work, and that
even the mining machinery had been sold in China.
In the devalued currency, the won, salaries were less than a pound a month,
possibly the lowest in the world, but North Koreans do not even have that now.
Half the flats were empty, their owners having died or fled.
From talks with dozens of refugees, I do not believe that there have been
"huge natural disasters" like the floods and tidal waves which Pyongyang claims
have occurred over the past four years, but only routine local flooding.
This disaster is man-made, created by Stalinist policies that do not permit
reform for fear of toppling North Korea's totalitarian leaders in one of the
world's last Marxist states.
Refugees say that 90 per cent of industry has shut down, except munitions
factories needed for the "liberation" of the South and for the sale of missiles
and armaments overseas. However, the Chinese authorities, whose fines for
border violations have increased tenfold in the past year, have understandable
concerns. China hardly needs more mouths that are in need of feeding and if
Beijing were to open the border, untold numbers would cross.
China has economic problems of its own which are throwing millions out of work
in moribund state industries and the Government fears instability. Beijing
would not want to see the collapse of its North Korean buffer, a cataclysm that
could bring South Korean, and possibly American, troops to its border.
Here, then, is the picture of life and death. In every North Korean city,
people huddle together in the waiting rooms of railway stations. There is no
heating but the crush of people provides some warmth. Mothers abandon their
children in the hope that they will be fed, but several die every day.
Trains are very infrequent, and they do not run to any timetable. They have no
heating, no working toilets and excrement is piled up. Most of the windows are
broken. "People are not allowed to travel without a permit, but the system has
broken down and they get on the trains to go somewhere to attempt to find
food," said Chae Sum Chun, a refugee.
Mr Chae told me that, in the electric battery factory where he used to work,
out of a workforce of 4,000 there had been 300 funerals in a single month last
June. Marriage as an institution has virtually collapsed and so has the family.
"Girls do not want to marry any more because they do not want to give birth,"
said Zhen Mi Ok, a married woman. "What is the point? There is no food for the
babies." Most births that do occur are at home - hospitals have no food or
medicines. Few mother have their own milk. Babies, for the most part, are fed
the same gruel of powdered stalks and leaves, unless they are among the
fortunate few receiving World Food Programme assistance.
Mothers abandon their homes because they cannot feed themselves, even less
their husbands and children.
Most international aid food goes to the army and cadres of the North Korean
Workers' (Communist) Party, and members of the Kim Jong Il clan - like Albania
under Enver Hoxha, North Korea is a clan-based autocracy. Aid agencies say the
growth of 61 per cent of North Korean children has been stunted. Kang Ming Hua,
a 16-year-old girl, is the same size as a ten-year-old ethnic Korean girl on
the Chinese side.
"I was always so hungry," she said as she ate an apple to a tiny core and told
me about the dead children she had seen "over there". I talked to children who
had buried other youngsters.
Refugees claim the North Koreans have created a huge Potemkin village for the
100 or so diplomats and foreign relief workers in Pyongyang. Refugees told me
how, when foreigners are coming on inspection tours, all children are ordered
to stay indoors, so that they will not be seen begging and stealing.
Cultural life is dead. There is no singing and no laughter, no films or
theatre. "Yet while they are with their children, mothers can still smile," one
woman said.
Personal security has collapsed and woman do not go on the streets after dark.
"You can't talk about law and order," said one refugee woman here. "People are
stealing night and day. Robber bands of soldiers and ruffians attack
communities."
On the Chinese side, many people are still willing to help, despite the heavy
fines. They include ethnic Chinese and not just the ethnic Koreans who inhabit
this part of the province of Jilin. "I am already old, so what am I afraid of?"
asked Pak Tae Jun, an ethnic Chinese-Korean. "I won't let people starve. We
know in the rest of the world they give help for humanitarian reasons. We are
doing the same."
Educated refugees say that there is no chance of overthrowing the Kim Jong Il
regime. "It is impossible to revolt or organise anything secretly because there
are spies everywhere," one man said.
Huge slogans in bright white characters on the hillside of North Korea here
say "We will do things our way" and "Dear Leader Kim Jong Il will bring back
the era of Kim Il Sung and become a youthful hero."
But what Mr Kim has wrought is a new heart of darkness in Asia, a vast field
of the dead and the dying from which the world has so far largely averted its
eyes.
Copyright 1999 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Despite the famine, which a U.S. congressional report says has killed up to 2
million people since 1995 (the DPRK admitted in May 1999 to a figure closer to
220,000 between 1995 and 1998), and having been dependent on international aid
since the same year, the DPRK appears to have enough food to export. Okryukwan,
the North's most famous restaurant and known for its naengmyon-cold buckwheat
noodles-opened its first branch in Seoul in May 1999. With the ingredients
imported from North Korea, Okryukwan has become Seoul's latest hip, up-market
eatery. A Kunsan franchise of this restaurant opened up near the new City Hall
in 2000.
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