Report: U.S. proposes time to move Yongsan Garrison, 2nd ID in S. Korea

Confusing article (in keeping w/the Bush administration) as to who pays for the movement of US troops in S. Korea. The way I read it, it's the US that wants to move them, so the US must pay. In the article, the question of payment is called "sensitive" and goes unanswered.

This is worth keeping an eye on since it's going to happen in Europe as well. The US govt. is currently buying up property in Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland to house troops now stationed in Germany.

In the article the Bushies seem less concerned about the timetable of troop movement than they do about the actual construction of the new facility. Gee, I wonder who's going to get the contract~.

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=17038

USFK spokeswoman Lee Ferguson said discussions on moving U.S. forces continue. The Chosun Ilbo and Korea Times reported Wednesday that the United States proposed moving the 2nd Infantry Division to Osan and Pyongtaek by 2008 and moving facilities from Yongsan Garrison by 2006.

But the United States only expressed its desire to have new facilities built within five years to house the U.S. forces once moved, said Lt. Col. Lee Bung-woo, Defense Ministry spokesman. The United States did not necessarily say it wanted the forces actually moved in five years, he said.

<snip>

No public announcement has addressed the sensitive issue of paying for moving U.S. forces. Under the status of forces agreement, if South Korea wants forces to relocate, it must foot the bill.