Move the US Bases to….Korea?

The South Korean media has reported that President Lee Myung-bak supposedly told Barack Obama that he could count on Korea as a last resort relocation option if no US/Japan deal could be worked out over the future of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma:

Citing anonymous sources, the monthly Bungeishunju reported in the September edition that Lee, during his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in Toronto, Canada in June, expressed his intention to allow the U.S. to build an alternative airbase in South Korea if the U.S.-Japan alliance is troubled further due to their disputes over the Futenma base.

“The article is not worth commenting on,” Hong Sang-pyo, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement. “It’s just complete fiction.”

If such a thing was actually said to Obama, it was probably just meant to be some kind words rather than a serious offer.

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Kalinin

Well, I usualy do not see people who say “I want problems” but South Korea is doing it. Honestly I don’t care about it if USA could leave Japan and let them free. BUT, Japan need to change their laws and build their army then…
Rob A

I have only one thing to say to the Japanese powers-that-be about their constant xenophobic “push out the US” spiel:

STFU.
screenjuice

I’m sure the DPRK’s Dear Leader himself will be pleased
with this idea.

It makes about as much sense as putting Holmer Simpson
in charge of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Judah

Korea wants the income that a U.S base would bring to their country. The question now is what will happen to the japanese business’s that currrently surround this U.S base?
Bryan

The “Alliance Managers” would never allow such a thing to happen for several reasons including geopolitical (DPRK would ramp up activity), financial, and strategic (location, location, location).
Rune

How about they split the difference and move the base to Takeshima/Dokdo?

http://www.zdwonline.de Haf

Good idea, but the island is probably too small.

Rune

Just do a bit of landfill and artificially enlarge the the islands. Some of the rocks would have to be blasted down to size anyhoo and the rest can be shipped in from somewhere else. I know it’s the DPJ and not the LDP who are the ruling part now, but I bet the civil servants have not forgotten how to get construction companies to move rocks around and play encase rocks in concrete =P

Kalinin

I sitll think that if it happened, we’ll see a war there. North Korea won’t like it!
Anyway USA, GET OUT OF JAPAN!!!!!!!!!!
Piglet

If the US leaves Japan, it will change the geostrategic balance in east Asia, and would probably benefit China more than Japan. A smooth transition to Japanese military independence might take many years but has to be carefully planned by US and Japanese authorities. At the moment, Japan is 100% dependent on US for protection against foreign threats, including the nuclear umbrella. An independent military would result in significantly increased spending for the country, and it doesn’t seem to be the priority right now for the government.

Move the US Bases to….Korea?

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