S. Korea to build barracks on island near north border for U.S. troops

Stars and Stripes reports:

South Korea plans to build accommodations for U.S. servicemembers on one of the Yellow Sea islands near the disputed maritime border it shares with North Korea, but officials from both countries insist there are no plans to permanently station Americans there.

“The Republic of Korea is building a transient barracks for the (South Korean) Marine Corps on (Baengnyeong) Island for use during training or in a crisis,” U.S. Forces Korea spokesman Jason Chudy said Monday. “It could also be used as temporary billeting for any U.S. forces training with our (South Korean) counterparts on the island, which increases our readiness and strengthens our alliance.

“There is no plan for the permanent stationing of U.S. forces on the Northwest Islands,” he said.

Baengnyeong Island is west of Yeonpyeong Island, which almost a year ago was shelled by North Korea. That attack left four South Koreans dead – including two civilians — and prompted a series of changes aimed at making sure the South is better prepared to respond to any future provocations from the North.

North Korea will surely see this move as a provocation by South Korea and the United States.  It will increase the danger of war in this volatile and disputed region:

A variety of experts on the two Koreas have suggested in recent months that the Northwest Islands are a likely location of future military conflict between the North and South given their location and history.

The North has long disputed where the maritime border between the two countries was drawn in the wake of the Korean War, suggesting it should be farther to the south. In addition, the five westernmost islands are actually closer to the North Korean mainland than the South’s.

Adding to the potential for armed conflict is the new shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach being taken by the South Korean military on and around the islands.

That more-aggressive approach was on display June 17 when two South Korean marines mistakenly fired 99 rounds from a Byondong Island guard post at an Asiana Airlines plane enroute to landing at the South’s Incheon International Airport.

No one was injured in the incident, and the marines were not reprimanded for their actions because officials said they had followed the new rules of engagement.