U.S. now seeks to keep more of Yongsan base

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U.S. now seeks to keep more of Yongsan base

A senior South Korean defense official says the United States is seeking to retain more of the land at Yongsan Garrison than it originally wanted after most U.S. troops stationed at the base are deployed to other areas of the country in three years.
By 2006, the United States Forces Korea agreed to move most of its soldiers to military facilities in Osan and Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi province.
U.S. military officials are seeking to keep about 40 percent of the 833 acres of land now occupied by its troops at Yongsan Garrison. The United States says it needs the extra land to house the forces that will stay on after the redeployment, the South Korean defense official said.
The United States wants twice the area that South Korean officials estimated a month ago. An official told the JoongAng Ilbo in July that the Ministry of National Defense had been expecting more than 80 percent of the site would be turned over to South Korea.
The official said the headquarters of the United Nations Command and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command would remain in Seoul, and use about 163 acres of the compound adjacent to the defense ministry.
Yongsan Garrison consists of three areas: Main Post, South Post of 432 acres and a 12-acre transportation compound.
According to a high-ranking government source, the United States now seeks to retain about 327 acres of the South Post for housing for the 1,000 military personnel who will remain at Yongsan. U.S. miliary officials are also asking that South Korea pay for the construction of residential units for the soldiers and their families, the source said.
“The United States recently demanded nearly 40 percent of the land at the Yongsan Garrison to house its remaining forces when we had preliminary contacts for the fourth round of the Future Policy Initiative meeting between the two countries,” the official said. “The issue will be discussed hotly at the meeting.” The defense negotiation is scheduled to take place in Seoul today and tomorrow.
In addition to wanting a larger site, the U.S. side asked South Korea to undertake construction of the new housing because U.S. troops are no longer able to use the military facilities at Hannam Village, the source said. The U.S. military changed its housing policy so that all facilities must be located inside bases. Hannam Village, a U.S. military lodge outside the Yongsan Garrison, thus will not qualify.
The U.S. side indicated its willingness to reconsider the relocation of Yongsan Garrison, if its request were denied. The Ministry of National Defense has reportedly rejected the U.S. efforts, citing financial difficulties. The ministry planned to sell the land that became available at Yongsan to the Seoul Metropolitan Government to help fund the moving cost of U.S. troops out of downtown Seoul.


by Lee Chul-hee, Kang Chan-ho
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