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All U.S. military facilities located at the Yongsan Garrison, including the Combined Forces Command and the UN Command, are to be moved to locations south of the Han River by the end of 2007. The move would bring an end to the 122-year history of having a foreign military based in Seoul, a history that began with the occupation of Yongsan by troops from Qing Dynasty China during the Military Revolt of 1882. The government aims to turn Yongsan into a park.
During the sixth round of the ¡°Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative¡± talks held in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Korean and U.S. negotiating teams, led by Assistant Defense Minister Cha Young-koo and Deputy Assistant U.S. Defense Secretary Richard Lawless, respectively, agreed Saturday afternoon to move all the men and facilities from the Yongsan Garrison to the Osan-Pyeongtaek area.
Taking into account feelings of insecurity within Korea and practical issues like securing base sites and building facilities, the two side agreed to start moving the Combined Forces Command and UN Command in the beginning of 2007, after a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue has been reached and essentially linked to the second stage of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division¡¯s redeployment to positions south of the Han River. The two sides also agreed to leave behind the Dragon Hill Lodge (which sits on roughly 25,000 pyeong of land), a liaison office of about 50 men, and communications offices for the Commander in Chief of Combined Forces Command (a four-star U.S. general) and the Deputy Commander in Chief (a four-star Korean general).
Meanwhile, Seoul city officials said Sunday that they would recommend to the government plans to designate the Yongsan Garrison area a national park and woodlands.
(Yu Yong-weon, kysu@chosun.com )
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