USFK To Become USFJ?
The United States Forces Korea may become a thing of the past according to this report in the Chosun Ilbo:
A new U.S. Army command to be set up at Camp Zama in Japan would assume charge in an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, the Daily Yomiuri reported Monday.
The daily said direct command of the UEX would be limited to an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, while the China-Taiwan “hot zone†and conflicts in Southeast Asia included in the “arc of instability” would come under the command of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa. However, in any Korean emergency U.S. Marine units in Okinawa would come under the operational command of the UEX.
The move seems intended to strengthen the USFJ and will likely entail reorganization of the U.S. Forces in Korea. USFK command could be merged with the USFJ’s or taken down a peg to be put under USFJ control.
If this is true that would mean that the Army could further cut down on soldiers here in Korea by eliminating the soldiers involved with every day operations of USFK. It is going to be interesting to see what the Korean response to this will be because I’m sure they will not like the fact that operational control of the US Army and in wartime the ROK Army would fall under a general based in Japan. Plus Korea will lose clout with the United States with the 4 star command being moved to Japan. Yes, we live in interesting times over here.
This means absolutely nothing. All that this is about is I Corps HQ moving from Fort Lewis to Camp Zama. USFK will continue to remain in place, with only minor reductions in its composition. Just as they've said several times in the past 18 months, USFK will continue to be a 4-star joint command. The main reason for it remaining as such is that removing LaPorte's slot would leave the 8th Army Commander subordinate to a ROK 4-star.
The functions of USFK and USFJ are completely different, and to say that it "seems intended to strengthen the USFJ and will likely entail reorganization of the USFK" is stupid.
It may be that the US is using the possibility of removing the 4 star command from Korea to gain leverage in aquiring the land for the relocation of USFK soldiers to Camp Humphreys. Who knows but hopefully we will hear more in the coming days.
This article is about 80% fiction mixed with about 20% fact…probably the product of some junior enlisted man selling his vast knowledge to the press for $50.