Keep Your Air Force Here, Just Don’t Train Them

Here is another one of those only in Korea problems:

The U.S. took the opportunity of just-concluded Security Policy Initiative talks with Korea to press for a new bombing range for the U.S. Forces Korea to replace a facility in Maehyang-ri that was shut down. The U.S. says its Air Force needs somewhere to practice and could move off the peninsula for training if Korea does not oblige.

Assistant Defense Minister for Policy Kwon An-do, who represented Korea at the regular talks, told reporters Friday the U.S. repeated the warning and asked for the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible. A string of such statements have come from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, USFK Commander Gen. Burwell Bell and others over recent months.

After the Maehyang-ri range was shut down, there were plans to move bomber training to the Jikdo range in Kunsan, North Jeolla Province, but local government and citizens protested.

What is so hypocritical about this is that the US Air Force cannot train because of environmental and noise pollution concerns while the ROK Air Force continues to train with many of the same planes that the US Air Force uses.  The ROK Air Force must have bought the noise free, non-polluting models.