Thought on Expense Burden of American Forces in Korea 주한미군 주둔비용에 대한 고찰

국민의 한 사람으로서 2019년 11월 현재까지 최근 문제가 해결되지 않는 주한미군 주둔비용 분담을 놓고 우리의 국가안보와 한미동맹에 대한균열 위험성을 염려하던 중, 

동일 이슈에 대하여 간단명료하지만 명확하게 피력된 어떤 분의 의견을 

인터넷을 통해 접하게 되었고 저의 생각과 일치되며 설득력이 있다 생각되어 아래와 같이 

요약하여 소개하고자 한다.

While I am very concern about our national security and the alliance with USA in midst of dispute on burden of the expense of AFK during Nov. 2019, I have found a simple but explicit opinion on internet and mind to introduce it, thinking it as same as mine, as bellows.

아래 사진은 미군 장교 2명을 살해한 판문점 도끼난동 사건 때 출동한 한미 장병을 보여준다.  

The photograph below shows the Incident of Axes Murder Killing Two American Officers in JSA taken place in Aug. 1976.

  

젊은 세대가 잘 모르는 사항인데 1989년까지 미국이 주한미군 주둔 비용을 100% 부담하였고 이 후대한민국이 분담금 조금씩 내기 시작한 것을 고려하고 국가의 경제적 위상을 본다면 

최근 미국이 요구하는 주둔비 인상 수용이 불가능한 것 만은 아니다.

If we consider the fact that USA had paid themselves 100% for the AFK till 1989 year, and that ROK has become one of global economy player, an increase of the burden of expense of AFK proposed recently by USA can’t be definitely unacceptable. 

최근 한/일간 맺어진 위안부 합의가 깨어지며 유발된 외교적인 신뢰상실 및 반일적으로 우려되는 정책으로 인하여 한일관계에서 대외무역 측면에서 큰 손실이 발생했다는 

비판에 대해서도 그러려니 하던 정부가 이번에는 혈맹인 미국과 관계에서 주한 미군 주둔비 대폭 인상은 불가하다 선언하면서 적극적으로 타협에 나서지 않고

있어 오랜 혈맹과의 외교적 마찰로 한미상호방위조약까지 저해될까 몹시 우려된다. 

The present government seemed not to be shocked by the huge loss of our country caused from the disputes between ROK and Japan in regard of breach of the bilateral agreement for resolution of the comfort women, and the recent anti-Japanese incident. But the regime declared not to accept the proposal of big increase of AFK expense burden, proactively participated in negotiation and don't care about growing sentiment of anti-America in leftist group.  

그리고 일부 인사가 지정학적 조건 운운하면서 미국은 주한미군 철수 절대로 못한다 자신하는데 

미/중 외교사 간단하게 살펴보면 알겠지만 이것은 옛날 대만문제를 볼 때 외세를 배격하고 중국인끼리만 더불어 잘 해결해보자 라는 대만 좌익 민족주의자의 주장과 동일한 것이다.

Some leftist figures said USA couldn't withdraw her AFK due to the geographical condition of Korean peninsula.  The brief diplomatic history between USA and Red China indicates this opinion is that of the leftist Taiwanese nationalist. 

그러자 대만 좌익에게 보란듯이 미군이 철수하였고 결국에 미국은 외교적으로 대만과 단교하였다.

지금 북한 공산정권과 대화를 주장하며 평화를 운운하는 것은 바로 옛날 대만이 반미를 주장하다 

미국과 단교하던 상황과 너무도 유사하다는 의견이 있다. 

Then USA withdrawn squarely her AFT and cut consequently the national relationship with Taiwan. It is quite same with Taiwanese case to live together with North Korea for peace. 

그런데 냉정하게 미국의 군사적 입장에서 보면, 미국은 일본에 대규모 공군, 해군, 해병대 기지를 유지하고 있어 극동지역 등 태평양에서 적성국가를 상대하는데 한국에 중복적으로 기지를 두지 않아도 아시아 태평양 지역을 방어하는데 문제가 없다. 이 입장은 한국전 발발 전 미국이 

선포한 방어전략인 애치슨라인에서 한반도는 제외되어 있다는 것을 상기하면 이해가 쉽다.

On the other hand, USA have stationed her large expeditionary forces in Japan, maintaining camps of Air Forces, Navies, Marines. So USA has no problem to handle hostile country or regime like NK in the far eastern area and pacific. We can easily draw up the Acheson line strategically drawn just before Korean war and Korean peninsula was excluded from that line to be defended from the communist aggression.   

주한미군을 한반도에 유지하는 방안으로 평택 미군기지를 쿠바 관타나모 기지처럼 

미국에게 영구 임대해 줄 수도 있으나 국민들의 정서에 맞지 않고 중국과 러시아의 

외교적 경제적 반발 때문에 불가능할 것이기에 현실적으로 주둔비용에 대한 상당한 수준의 부담을 고려하여 미국과 타협하는 것이 불가피하다. 

One of the effective methods can be renting permanently Pyongtaek Camp as like Guantanamo Camp in Cuba. But it can’t be appropriate to the sense of peoples and for the diplomatic and economic attack from Red China and Russia. So only a negotiation on our burden can be the sole solution to maintain the AFK. 

지금 우리군이 쓰는 전방부대 모든 GP, GOP 등 상당한 시설이 미군이 100% 

비용 부담해서 건설했으며 1969년까지 미군이 휴전선에 주둔하고 한국군은 후방에서 지원 역할만하는 동안 정전협정 이후 북한군과 크고 작은 교전 속에서 사상 당한 미군이 수 천명이 넘었다.

The facilities including GP, GOP, used by ROK armies have provided substantially by AFK with their own budget. The DMZ was defended by American soldiers under support of ROK, sacrificing a couple of thousand dead or injured along the line after the armistice agreement in 1953. 

당시 미군에게 한국은 그냥 아프간 같은 곳이었고 경기/강원도 전방은 정전상태인데도 미군이 죽어 나가는 전쟁중인 베트남 다음으로 위험한 지역이었다. 

KOREAN frontline had just been another battle field of Afganistan, and many American soldiers lost their lives along the DMZ as like Vietnam in war. 

그러는 동안 미군이 한국군을 현대화시켰고 그들의 비용을 부담하면서 주둔하여 대한민국 

국방과 경제에 이바지한 것 역시 결코 무시할 수 없다. 또한 지금 이 시간도 미군의 주둔은 

북한 공산정권과 정전체제 하에서 대외적으로 우리의 국가 신인도를 높이고 지속적인 발전에 기여하고 있다. 이번에 한국이 부담할 미군 주둔 비용을 어느 수준에서 인상한다 해도 

이 돈 전부 한국에서 다 쓰도록 잘 협상한다면 오히려 한국경제에도 도움이 될 수도 있다. 

However American contribution to modernizing ROK and developing economy can’t be ignored. Also, AFK existence in the peninsula is keeping to attribute our national credibility and stability under the armistice condition with the brutal communist regime NK.  No matter how high we take our burden of the expense due, the amount of this financial support can be recovered in Korea if we can negotiate well to induce a spending methodology. 

이상의 한 정치적 의견을 읽고 동의하면서 결과적으로 개인적으로 다음과 같이 피력한다.  국가가 침략을 받았을 때 도와줄 수 있는 대한민국의 동맹국은 오직 미국 하나밖에 없고 미국은 이억만리 타국에서 자국의 젊은이들 피를 바쳐 공산주의와 싸웠고 대한민국을 수립하고 재건해 주었는데 이러한 끈끈하며 오랜 혈맹관계를 최근 미국이 주둔 비용을 대폭 인상해 줄 것을 

요구했다고 국민의 생명과 재산을 책임지고 지켜달라 권력을 부여한 정부가 협상을 

미루거나 반미적 분위기로 방치될 수 있도록 방임하는 것은 대단히 배은망덕하며 어불성설인 것이다. 

Our country has no alliance but USA who fight off the communists in need, sacrificing their young men’s blood, save from the communist regime and help to construct Korean economy. It is nonsense to take anti-USA attitude because of the request to increase our burden of AFK staying expense.