South Korea wary of pullback by U.S.

Byline: Michael A. Lev

PANMUNJOM, Korea_If there ever was a comforting thought for South Koreans living in the shadow of a dangerous North Korea, it was that U.S. troops along the demilitarized zone were there to act as a tripwire, guaranteeing America's immediate involvement should the North ever attack.

But now that a new confrontation with North Korea is brewing over its nuclear weapons program, instead of breathing easier because Americans are helping guard the border, South Koreans are worried, confused and disappointed _ because the United States is planning to withdraw its troops from the DMZ.

There is long-term military logic behind the U.S. decision to pull back its 2nd Infantry Division to bases south of Seoul, but many in South Korea do not like the argument. Fewer still like the timing.

It comes at a key juncture in the world's face-off against North Korea and its nuclear ambitions, with six-way talks scheduled to begin Wednesday in Beijing between Pyongyang and the U.S. along with South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.

The next talks between Seoul and Washington on the pullback of U.S. troops are schedule for a week or two later.

Stella Kim, a business and political consultant in Seoul, notes that many South Koreans, feeling…