General Bell Advocates 2009 Handover

Is there any doubt the hand over will be 2009?:

The commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, Gen. Burwell Bell, said Thursday that South Korea will be able to exercise independent wartime operational control of its forces by 2009.

¿If a decision by our governments is made to proceed now, it is my military assessment that such a transition can be achieved, with assured continued deterrence and war-fighting readiness, over a three-year period of focused organizational activity, training and exercising,” Bell told a forum at a Seoul hotel. “This could result in executing the transition to [Korean] independent command in the year 2009.”

But in reiterating the Pentagon target of 2009 just one week ahead of the Korea-U.S. summit in Washington on Sept. 14, they augur tough sailing for Korea’s bid to take sole troop control only in 2012.

General Bell is making it pretty clear I think that the hand over will be 2009 and South Korea better start now trying to figure out how they are going to get ready for it:

Bell again stressed issues he raised in a talk to the National Assembly on July 13: the need for concrete decisions on the scope of U.S. military support after the transfer, U.S. contributions to ground operations, changes in the Korean government’s wartime goals and command relationships and the UN Command’s role.

Bell said the answers to these questions must be worked out before the change in the command relationship, adding that because it would be impossible to exercise military power in an effective way if these issues are left unclear, it is critical that solutions are drafted early to avoid chaos.

The general’s message appears to be that Seoul must be clear in advance whether its objective in the event of an invasion by the North would be to restore the present borders or advance to Pyongyang and overthrow the North Korean regime. Currently, under Operational Plan 5027 of Combined Forces Command, the goal would be to push back the line north of Pyongyang, crush the North Korean regime, and institute a military administration there.

It will be interesting to see if the South Korean government will be willing to make public proclamations that they would invade and occupy the north if attacked.  I know it is pathetic, but that is the state of the current South Korean government, they don’t even know if they would be willing to invade and occupy North Korea if attacked.  2009 will be here before they know it, they better make up their mind real quick.