Kim Moonsoo: "US Forces Korea Support the Alliance... Reduction Must Be Handled with Caution"

Aiming at Lee:
"What would happen to the country if someone who calls US Forces Korea 'occupying forces' becomes president?"

Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, commented on May 25 regarding foreign media reports about a possible reduction of US Forces Korea, stating, "Any change to the status of US Forces Korea must be handled with extreme caution from a strategic perspective."

On this day, Kim wrote on Facebook, "The role of US Forces Korea goes beyond deterring North Korea; it plays a very important role in countering and deterring threats from China and Russia. The core pillar that has supported the great South Korea-US alliance has been US Forces Korea." He emphasized, "The recent foreign media reports about plans to consider reducing and relocating US Forces Korea must be approached with great caution, as such actions could weaken not only deterrence against North Korea but also the ability to check China and Russia in the Indo-Pacific region."

Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is appealing for support from citizens at a concentrated campaign rally held at Bucheon Station Maru Square in Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Kim further stated, "In particular, I believe that reducing US Forces Korea would be a dangerous choice because it could give Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, room for miscalculation as he constantly seeks opportunities to provoke the South." He added, "Both Samuel Paparo, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees the Korean Peninsula, and Xavier Brunson, Commander of US Forces Korea, are opposed to the reduction and relocation of US Forces Korea. It is also worth recalling that during the first Trump administration, a reduction of US Forces Korea was reportedly considered, but it was ultimately not implemented due to strong opposition."

Kim also made remarks targeting Lee Jaemyung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim questioned, "What would happen to this country if someone who believes that 'US Forces Korea are occupying forces and the US military should withdraw' becomes president?" He was referring to Lee's use of the term "occupying forces" for the US military in July 2021, when Lee said, "Didn’t pro-Japanese forces in South Korea collaborate with the US occupying forces to maintain their ruling system as it was?" In response, Lee at the time rebutted, saying, "Both the Soviet forces stationed north of the 38th parallel and the US forces stationed south of it were indeed occupying forces," and called such criticism "ideological attacks."