Ok, let's withdraw those 37,000 troops and see what happens.
Agree completely - it's time to get the U.S. out of The Land of the Morning Calm (and the Dog-Eaters.)
I agree. That goes for Europe too.
I think the Taiwanese may deserve our attention more. There is little about Korea that is of major strategic value. If their people were simply freedom loving and pro-U.S. and asked for us to help them, I'd say it's worth doing, but not if they're going to spit in our face. They are saying a lot about their own aptitude to live as a free people. The ROK Army is tougher than it once was, but if they think they could take on all of the Nikkies by themselves they are CRAZY. But so be it. If they want to defend themselves, let 'em.
China doesn't need Navy bases or airfields there, and I don't know that the South has all that much in the way of natural resources. If it falls back into the Middle Kingdom (as it would if the Nikkies came south, eventually) it wouldn't be nearly as harmful as Chinese control over Taiwan, the Spratleys, etc. etc.
But I just can't get over the feeling that if 30+ thousand of our troops already PAID for that land in blood we da** well shouldn't just leave it to the hordes.