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The U.S.Forces in Korea and Local Community Relations(1964~1973) - Focusing on the Community Relations Program for the U.S. Soldiers -

KEUM Bowoon 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The Community Relations Program which had been managed by the U.S. Forces was intended to be utilized for operating the U.S. military bases in foreign countries. It means that the U.S. Forces in Korea and the local community relations were not be built accidentally but be constructed intentionally by the Cold War policy of the U.S. This article examines the way to provide the information of the local community to the soldiers and encourage them to participate in community which were included in the Community Relations Program. These could be found in the newspapers which were published by each unit bases of U.S. Forces in Korea. These newspapers provided the local information around the bases to soldiers and let them recognize their duty in that community as the U.S. nationals. In addition, the unit newspapers were expected to contribute to build friendly relationship with the local people by recommending the soldiers to join the local community. Letting the soldiers participate in the local community was regarded as the way to comfort the soldiers who couldn’t be adjusted to life in Korea as well. However, the information which was provided to the soldiers had contained prejudice on Korean society, even it made the indifference of the soldiers on local community worse. Also, these newspapers ignored the conflict between GIs and local people and made the crack on the mutual recognition. Finally, the Community Relations Program, which had been planned for the stable maintenance of the U.S. military bases in Korea, exposed its limitation to build amicable relationship based on sufficient mutual understanding under the neglecting of the Korean Government.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.