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Osan-Pyeongtaek to Become Hub of USFK

ROK Ministry of National Defense

2003-04-29

A senior ranking U.S. military official said on Friday (April 25) that most of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) will be moved to Osan-Pyeongtaek area in the long term, heightening the possibility that the headquarters of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command (UNC), currently in Yongsan Garrison, will be moved to the area.

" There is a long-term vision that has most of the U.S. forces located in the Osan/Pyeongtaek area," said Maj. Gen. James Soligan, Deputy Chief of Staff UNC/USFK to reporters after giving a speech before 250 American Korean War veterans in Seoul. "There are clearly discussions going on, but no decisions have been made. That's a long-term objective."

According to Soligan, the USFK hopes to realign and consolidate its bases, currently scattered throughout the peninsula, into two major "hubs" _ one in the Osan-Pyeongtaek area, home of the Osan Air Base, and the other in the Daegu-Busan area, which includes Camp Hialeah.

It is the first time the USFK indicated a major reshuffle of military base positions. Changes in the existing Land Partnership Plan (LPP) South Korea and the U.S. signed in 2001 to consolidate U.S. military bases are inevitable as a result.

Soligan's remarks also put added weight behind Osan-Pyeongtaek as the destination of the USFK's main Yongsan Garrison, which Seoul and Washington officials earlier agreed to move out of the capital "as soon as possible."

The Korea Times on April 11 reported the Yongsan Garrison will be moved to Osan based on quotes from Seoul and Washington officials.

While both sides will need to come to an agreement on the timing before those changes are executed as well as the purchasing of land and beginning military construction, the final decision when to adjust the alignment of the forces is a political one that will be made by the two governments at the appropriate time, Soligan said.

With the second round of Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative meeting between the ROK and the U.S. scheduled for next month in Hawaii, there are many issues that need to be discussed as both nations move to the future, he said.

Some of them involve the size, shape and capabilities of the South Korean and U.S. forces, the timing of those adjustments, and the relocation of the Yongsan base and the implementation of LPP, he said.

These talks, according to Soligan, will solidify or resolve key issues to be addressed by President Roh and President Bush when they meet next month.

"The point that I would really like to emphasize is that the focus of both negotiating partners has been very positive on enhancing capabilities whether it's increasing the numbers and types of precision guided munitions to the potential of bringing over the most modern U.S. forces as part of the capability on the peninsula," Soligan said.

Soligan said he sees this as the very strong commitment of both sides to a stronger and a more capable alliance. While the laundry list of enhancements is long, it is not always covered by the media.

"When we are talking about how we are reviewing and strengthening the alliance, the enhancements are at the heart of the issue," said Soligan.

Soligan also pointed out that the composition of the people who are on the peninsula will also evolve with new systems coming to the peninsula and old systems moving away.

"It would be unrealistic to assume that we will not continue to evolve our forces to be able to enhance our capabilities," Soligan said. "Some people speculate that any change weakens the alliance or weakens capability and that is not true. That is not an accurate assessment. You need to change to make things stronger."