North Korea

U.S.: NKorea to Declare Nuclear Programs

Kim Gye Gwan, head of the North Korean delegation, said separately his country's willingness to cooperate was clear—in return for "political and economic compensation"—but he mentioned no dates.

My grandfather and first cousin both served in South Korea. I think that over fifty years of baby sitting should be coming to an end right about now. Instead of leaving this area to solve its own problems, this relic of a Cold War that we are no longer fighting, we are apparently now are on course to pay one country off for threatening to destroy its other half. What a great signal to send to the rest of the world.

We spend money and risk our own troops to defend South Korea. We pay North Korea off not to destroy South Korea. Many South Koreans show their gratitude for this by referring to us as occupiers and routinely protesting our presence. The vast majority of the troops in the South are South Korean forces anyway. They can take care of themselves and likely fend off any invasion. It is theoretically only the apparent threat of U.S. intervention that keeps the North at bay and apparently we still have to pay them for that indulgence.

If we are going to continue to maintain a presence in South Korea, let South Korea pay for it. If this area gets destroyed by an invasion from the North (something China will not likely allow), we will temporarily lose some cheap goods and a portion of our consumer market. But, who benefits from this the most though, you, or large MNCs? That is primarily why we stay in Korea. If we continue to pay of the defense of South Korea and subsidize North Korea with bribes for not attacking the South, we will likely be there for the next 100 years since there is no incentive for either side to change the status quo.

We shouldn't pay a dime, but we are not even likely to get the North to recognize the South or officially end the Korean War even if we do start paying this extortion money.