The Pyongtaek Citizens Committee on the Relocation of U.S Army Bases, headed by Pyeongtaek Mayor Kim Sun-ki and the city council chairman Lee Ik-jae, said Tuesday that considering national security and the situations of the region around the city, it would not accept the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division to the region. The U.S. Forces Korea asked the South Korean government last month to complete the construction of new facilities in Osan and Pyeongtaek for the relocating troops by 2008.

The committee said that it "basically opposed" the relocation to its area. But it added that if the relocation was inevitable, it should be considered from the view of the region’s development within the Seoul-Washington Land Partnership Planning agreement.

If the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division was still pursued, the committee said, it would refuse all other in-movements of U.S. military units and facilities, including the headquarters of the 8th Army. (Lee Tae-hun, libra@chosun.com )