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The government held a first formal meeting with residents of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on Friday to discuss the relocation of U.S. Forces Korea headquarters there. The two sides agreed to deal with the problem through discussions from now on after violent protests last month turned the site into a battleground.
Kim Chun-seok, the assistant secretary of a Special Commission on USFK Affairs, and two other officials met with Lee Sang-yeol, the leader of the residents organization in Paengseong and two others. "As this was only the first meeting since formal dialogue was proposed, we mainly just listened to what the residents had to say,¡± Kim said afterwards. Their demands include an apology for damages due to the base relocation, and release of those arrested in the protests. "The main thing is that we've agreed to solve the problem through talks, and we will discuss the points of contention at our next meeting¡± on June 7, Kim added.
The government said last month that if the residents came forward, it could discuss additional compensation for those whose homes and farmland were expropriated to make way for the base.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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