A U.S. communication battalion stationed north of Seoul will soon relocate to a base south of the capital as part of a broader agreement to consolidate American military bases in South Korea, officials said Wednesday.
Troops in the 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, which is based in Uijeongbu, are working to move to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, later this month, its public affairs office said in a statement.
"We are the first battalion-size element to make the move down south," said Lt. Col. Mark Parker, the battalion commander.
The relocation comes under an agreement first reached in 2004 and then finalized last year to relocate most of the American military bases in and north of Seoul to Pyeongtaek by the end of 2016.
When fully expanded, Camp Humphreys will transform into the main hub of the U.S. military in South Korea.
After the communication battalion leaves the Uijeongbu base, the 23rd Chemical Battalion will move into the site and stay there temporarily until it moves to the new base in Pyeongtaek, officials said.
The chemical battalion is returning to South Korea, nine years after it withdrew in 2003 as part of an agreement calling for Seoul to take over major defense missions from the U.S.
Some 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a cease-fire. (Yonhap)