(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in South Korea believe their country should not accommodate United States military bases, according to a poll by JoongAng Ilbo. 54 per cent of respondents want all U.S. forces currently stationed in their country to be withdrawn.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in South Korea believe their country should not accommodate United States military bases, according to a poll by JoongAng Ilbo. 54 per cent of respondents want all U.S. forces currently stationed in their country to be withdrawn.
Diplomatic relations between the North and South have been strained since the end of the Korean War. A one-mile demilitarized zone has separated the two countries since 1953. The U.S. currently has 32,500 soldiers in South Korea.
The U.S. has close to 230,000 troops stationed all over the world, not including U.S.-based forces currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In August 2004, U.S. president George W. Bush announced plans to close some overseas military bases, which would reduce the number of soldiers in South Korea to 25,000 by 2008.
U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to meet with South Korean counterpart Yoon Kwang-ung on Oct. 21 in Seoul. The South Korean government said the talks will focus on “bilateral ties and cooperation on the global war of terrorism.”
Polling Data
Do you think U.S. forces currently stationed in South Korea should be withdrawn immediately, withdrawn gradually, left for a considerable period of time, or left permanently?
Withdrawn immediately | 4% |
Withdrawn gradually | 50% |
Left for a considerable period of time | 30% |
Left permanently | 16% |
Source: JoongAng Ilbo
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,200 South Korean adults, conducted from Aug. 24 to Sept. 10, 2005. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.
