• ROK Government Seeks to Defuse US Misunderstanding of Military Control
 ROKG in negotiations with US over who will take charge of military operations in the ROK in the event of war
 In Washington, Michael Green, former Asia director at the NSC, said that the US will maintain operational control over military forces in ROK “…until peace takes root”
 Green’s remark was dismissed by ROK MND in a statement: "ROK and the US have no disagreement over the operational control issue and will continue to have consultations to draw up a roadmap for the transfer as early as December this year"
• US Base Relocation Evictions Imminent
 Talks between the ROK MND and local residents have effectively broken off and the Daechu-ri area in the city of Pyeongtaek is reportedly “on the brink of a crisis”
 ROK MND says dialogue will continue but confirmed it will push for an eviction order before 7 May 06
 A conflict seems unavoidable as local residents and activists have decided to fight
 The Pan-National Committee to Deter the Expansion of US Bases said, “We urge the Defense Ministry to stop the deceptive dialogue game….if the ministry forces its way into the branch school and farmlands, we will fight to the death”
• US Has No Plan to Invade NK – Seoul / Washington Forum Panelists Say
 Panelists participating in a two-day forum largely named the NK nuclear issue, ROK’s worsening relations with Japan, ‘progressive’ groups, and generational changes in the ROK as challenges to the half-century-old ROK-US alliance
 Michael Green said, “There is no evidence at all that the Bush administration has plans to attack NK’’ even if the multilateral diplomatic efforts to persuade NK to give up its nuclear ambition prove to be unsuccessful
• ROK Zaytun Unit Commander to Be Replaced
 ROK JCS said Maj. Gen. Hwang Jung-sun, commander of the Army’s 1st Division, will become chief of ROK troops stationed in Iraq
 The change-of-command ceremony will take place Saturday at Camp Zaytun in the Kurdish-controlled Iraqi town of Irbil. Gen. Kim Myung-lip, vice chief of the JCS, will officiate the ceremony
• US, Japan Strengthen Military Ties
 The US and Japan concluded the final report on realignment of US forces stationed in Japan yesterday to consolidate the two countries’ armed forces’ ability to carry out integrated responsibilities and expanding the role of Self-Defense Forces in the Asia-Pacific region
 The two countries also decided to strengthen the Missile Defense system and expand the scope of sharing military information
 Also, agreeing on the thorniest issue between them, they decided to relocate the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa to the shore of Camp Schwab by 2014 and wrap up the relocation of 8,000 marines to Guam
 Plans are to wrap up the realignment of all US forces in Japan by 2014
• NK High on List of Failing States
 NK ranked 14th on the list of failing states released by the US diplomatic journal Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace
 The list names countries on the brink after assessing countries in terms of power of government, legitimacy of regime, internal peacekeeping capability, pubic services for basic livelihood, and the power of law enforcement authorities
• US in a Bind Over Korean Ire at NK Human Rights Special Envoy’s ‘Slur’
 Envoy’s critique of ROK's little-monitored aid to NK and suggestion that Kaesong workers are exploited did not go through review channels before publication
 DoS repeated envoy’s remarks that irritated ROKG, "The world knows little about what actually goes on at Kaesong"
 DoS official said POTUS was in favor of Roh’s overall strategy to bring NK and ROK towards reconciliation, with Kaesong being a manifestation of Roh’s strategy