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"Korea serves as the front line of the United
States. This should be the last place to pull out
U.S. troops." Former Prime Minister Paik
A NEW
Too-chin. now a delegate to the Republic
of Korea's National Assembly, leaned for–
ward in his chair in his spacious office and
AA
added: "1 am very worried. 1 oppose the [U.S.
ground force withdrawal] schedule of Mr. Carter.
W
Without continued U.S. participation and determi-
nation"- he placed heavy stress
IN
JñOREAon
"determi~ati~n"-''peac.e
..N
cannot be mamtamed." PresJ-
dent Carter, of course, ear-
.
present 33,000-man U.S. ground force
·· ·
·
·
WOULD
lier this year announced that the
in South Korea would be withdrawn in stages over a five-year period.
MEAN
About 8,000 air force men and technicians wou ld remain in the country.
Mr. Paik spoke from profound and broad cxperience. He served the first
of his two separate terms of office as prime minister during the Korean War.
by
Gene H. Hogberg and Keith W. Stump
For nearly a quarter century American ground forces have served as the "finger in the dike" in main–
taining an uneasy peace in northeast Asia. Now they are to be systematically withdrawn. The result could
shake world power relationships to their very foundations.
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