Korea Seeks Change in Managing US Base Construction
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The Defense Ministry is in disagreement with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) over how to create the site for a hub base for U.S. troops based in South Korea in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
The ministry recently suspended its plan to build the site on land occupying 8.12 million square meters on a ``turnkey'' basis, and instead decided to place orders to different firms in order to save costs.
The USFK has protested the suspension, and asked the ministry to stick to the original turnkey-based construction, accepted by both sides last December, according to ministry sources.
Major General Park Byung-hee, in charge of the U.S. base relocation project at the ministry, said it was inevitable that changes would occur due to cost problems. He said he proposed the USFK consider the ministry's idea, but as of yet had received no reply.
Media reports say USFK have delivered letters of protest to the ministry several times, and requested it go ahead with the construction as initially planned.
``There are various ways to construct the site for the Pyeongtaek base,'' Park said. ``Last year, top priority was to finish the construction as quickly as possible. However, we have to think about growing costs, too.''
Park said the military could reduce the total cost by up to 180 billion won by simply dropping the turnkey-based construction.
The so-called Parcel 2 area is a part of the envisioned site for the base. The construction is expected to cost 800 billion won. Park said he is cooperating closely with USFK to find the best way to finish the construction at both the earliest possible date and lowest cost.
Under a 2004 agreement, the U.S. promised to return 170 square kilometers of land ― housing 42 military bases and facilities across the country ― to South Korea on a gradual basis by 2011. In return, Seoul agreed to offer 12 square kilometers of land to help triple the size of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek to transform it into a hub base for U.S. troops in Korea. Currently, about 27,000 American men and women in uniform serve in South Korea.
The consolidated base will accommodate about 44,000 U.S. servicemen, their families, base workers and South Korean reinforcements, according to the ministry.
Ministry officials say it may take more than five years to complete the construction of the base.