U.S. forces moving in South Korea

  • Published
  • By Gerry J. Gilmore
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  U.S. and South Korean officials have agreed to a plan to realign American forces stationed in "The Land of the Morning Calm."

In meetings held June 4 and 5 in Seoul, according to a joint U.S.-South Korean statement, the operation will consist of two phases:

Phase 1 -- U.S. forces at installations north of the Han River will consolidate in the area of Camp Casey near Tongduchon and Camp Red Cloud near Uijongbu. Both bases are north of Seoul and the Han, but well south of the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. The 14,000-strong U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division, which provides troops to bases near the DMZ, has its headquarters at Camp Red Cloud.

Phase 2 -- U.S. forces north of the Han River will move to key hubs south of the river.

U.S. and Korean officials agreed to continue rotational U.S. military training north of the Han even after Phase 2 is completed, according to the statement.

The realignment operation will take several years to complete, according to the joint statement.

Realignment of American troops in South Korea is part of an ongoing U.S. force assessment involving overseas and stateside troops. About 37,000 U.S. troops serve in South Korea.

At a June 2 press conference in Seoul, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said that "a substantial amount of money" will be invested -- about $11 billion, according to U.S. defense officials -- over the next four years "in some 150 programs to enhance U.S. capabilities here on the (Korean) peninsula."

The U.S.-South Korean statement noted that the realignment also involves moving U.S. forces out of Yongsan Garrison in Seoul.

The purpose of realigning U.S. forces in South Korea, Wolfowitz said, "is to enhance deterrence, not to weaken it."