Would it be our turn next?

Republic of Korea was founded as a sovereign nation on August 15, 1948 after the sudden liberation from the Japanese 36-year-long colonial rule owing to the America’s A-bomb dropping on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945.

Nevertheless, right after the liberation, Korean people failed to form a united nation mainly due to the ideology differences that was heavily influenced by then the two super powers, the United States and the U.S.S.R.

Besides, South Korea had to overcome the 3- year-long fratricidal conflict caused by North Korea’s surprising attack launched at dawn of June 25, 1950, that resulted in an immeasurable loss of casualties from ROK troops and the US men and women in uniform and including other 15 UN member countries’ soldiers.

Therefore, we South Koreans have never forgotten such a supreme sacrifice made especially by our strong ally, the United States of America. Needless to mention, had it not been for the military and economic assistance provided by the United States during our difficult times, we would have not been possible to achieve the prosperity that we are enjoying today.

In the meantime, very recently, a lot of world people are shocked by US President Donald Trump’s precipitous decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria where Kurdish fighters have fought alongside the US forces against the Islamic State. President Trump’s sudden decision to pull out US troops not only drew sharp criticism from the America’s longtime allies in the Middle East and Europe but also the Kurds even accused the United States of turning its back on them.

Furthermore, news media report that Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has threatened for months to launch a military operation across the Syrian border as he has viewed the Kurdish forces as a threat to his country, which could lead to a massacre of the Kurds in absence of US troops in the region.

President Trump was quoted to have said in his tweets” It is time for us to get out of these ridiculous endless wars”. He added “ We will fight where it is to our benefit, and only fight to win.”

President Trump’s inflexible determination mentioned as above has caused grave concern to the majority of citizens living in South Korea where the United States has maintained sizable troops for more than seventy years.

The reason why we South Koreans are paying much attention to the chaotic situation developing in northern Syria is because we guess that  President Donald Trump must have been sick and tired of the inconclusive denuclearization talks with North Korea, and what is more, because it is palpable that the traditionally strong alliance between Seoul and Washington has become somewhat estranged in various aspects in these days.

It is our firm understanding that the US troop’s presence in South Korea has played key role, as a linchpin, in deterring North Korea’s miscalculated provocations and containing the two communist giants, Russia and China in the Far East since the Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953.

This being so, we South Koreans would like to believe that America’s situational awareness especially on Korean peninsula is in different criteria comparing to that of northern Syria.

For this reason, in any event, the freedom loving citizens of Republic of Korea hope that our apprehension for our country’s security will prove unnecessary sooner or later.

다음은우리차례일까?

대한민국은미합중국이 1945년일본히로시마와나가사끼에원자폭탄을투하함으로서 36년간의식민통치에서해방되어 1948년 8월15일합법적주권국가로탄생하였습니다.

해방이되었음에도불구하고한국사람들은당시미국과소련의영향에의한이념갈등때문에단일국가설립에실패하였습니다.

그밖에도대한민국은 1950년 6월25일새벽에시작된북한의기습남침으로인한 3년간의동족상잔을감내해야했습니다. 이전쟁으로말미암아한국은물론미국등유엔참전국들로부터엄청난인명피해를당하게했습니다.

그렇기때문에우리한국국민들은그들의고귀한희생특히우리의맹방미국의숭고한희생을오래도록잊지않고있는것입니다. 재론의여지없이그어려웠던시절에맹방미국으로부터의군사적경제적지원이없었던들오늘날우리가누리는부를이루기란도저히불가했을것입니다.

그런데최근에미국트럼프대통령이북시리아지방에주둔중인미군병력을철수하겠다는성명을갑작스럽게발표함으로서많은세계인들과중동과유럽의동맹국들이큰충격을받고있을뿐만아니라그간미국의지원으로함께아이시스퇴출전투에참여해온쿠루드족전사들은미국을배신자라고까지말하고있는실정입니다.

한발더나아가에르도안터키대통령은수개월전부터쿠르드족반군들이터키에큰위협이라고생각하고시리아국경지역에대한대대적인공격을감행할것이라고말해오고있습니다. 터키의공격은미군철수후에쿠루드족의대량학살로이어질가는성이큰것입니다.

트럼프대통령은그의트위트를통하여다음과같이말한것으로보도되었습니다. “ 이제미국은밑빠진독같은지루한전쟁으로부터벗어날때가되었습니다.” 우리는미국의이익을위해서만참전할것이고또승리를확신하는전쟁만할것입니다.”

위와같은미국대통령의단호한결정의변은미군이상당수주둔하고있는대한민국의대다수국민들에게는지대한걱정거리로다가옵니다.

우리대한민국국민들이최근에발생하고있는북시리아지역사태에큰관심을보이는이유는바로우리가추측하기에트럼프미국대통령은아마도질질끌고있는북한과의비핵화협상때문에무척식상해있을것이라는우려때문이고또다른이유는최근들어전통적으로확고했던한미관계가여러면에서많이소원해졌다는사실이명백하기때문입니다.

한국국민들은대한민국에서의미군의주둔은그동안 1953년정전협정조인이래대한민국안보의핵심으로서한반도에서의북한의오판으로인한도발을저지하고극동지역에서의두공산집단인러시아와중국을견제하는데절대적인역할을해왔다고믿고있습니다.

Kurdish people being ecacuated.(소개되고있는 쿠루드족)

US troops leaving northern Syria(북 시리아지역에서 철 수하는 미군병력)