By The never ending negotiations to complete the Camp Humphreys relocation continues:
The United States and South Korea will hold additional talks about a new timeline for the U.S. to move its troops to Camp Humphreys, after failing to reach an agreement Wednesday on the schedule and funding of the relocation.
U.S. Forces Korea spokeswoman Col. Jane Crichton said the countries had a “good discussion” and talked about topics including housing at Camp Humphreys and awarding rights for designated special facilities, such as a hospital.
“There was agreement on many things,” she said. “Much progress was made.”
Most U.S. troops in and north of Seoul are scheduled to move to Camp Humphreys by 2012, but the massive expansion of the once-sleepy helicopter base has been slow.
A spokesman for South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said in January that U.S. officials are pushing for delays because of budgetary concerns, but that South Korea wants the relocation as quickly as possible. He also said the relocation could be delayed until 2016.
Crichton said more talks would be held “shortly,” but no date had been set.
The South Korean press has reported that there are several sticking points in the deal, including which of the two countries will pay for new housing at Humphreys.
A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said there were a few areas that the two countries disagreed on but declined to name them or talk about other details of Wednesday’s meeting, which he characterized as productive. [Stars & Stripes]
This just goes to show that you shouldn’t believe anything you hear about the completion of this relocation until you see it with your own two eyes because just last week the US and Korea had supposedly agreed on a 2015 timeline and now USFK wants to push it back to 2016.
You can read a historical overview of the Camp Humphreys relocation here.
12:21 am on May 2nd, 2009 1
When will we ever learn to stop letting the bean counters make strategic decisions? They will always try to consolidate and eliminate redundancy, as if there’s some inherent goodness in doing so. Any argument for avoiding a single-point-of-failure (or attack) gets an answer of how much money can be saved.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For all of our assets are with me, in one place.
Thy rod and thy staff, they little comfort me.
Thou preparest a base that is the ultimate target.
My attacker’s cup runneth over.
Reply
3:01 am on May 2nd, 2009 2
I said it the first time I heard about this fiasco, and I’ll repeat it yet again. Prognosis: No sooner than 2021. At the earliest. Period. .
Reply
5:26 am on May 2nd, 2009 3
I know in combat zones, they come up with the rotation scheme because they don’t believe a soldier can handle indefinite combat (though they could in something like WWII).
I wonder — do they have a forced rotation system for these negotiations?
Or do they torture individual officers and such by forcing them to attend each and every get together on this issue year after year after year after year after year….?
Anyway, I can’t even remember the last time I heard anything about the plan to move the US Embassy — another one of the oft discussed reasons why SK resented the US presence in its capital and that needed to change pronto — but once agreed to never seems to happen….
Reply
4:50 pm on May 3rd, 2009 4
Leon, if you are talking about the final move everyone out of Seoul, maybe. But I know for a fact that a lot of new facilities are definitely in process and the first moves are 2012. If you travel down there you can see the work in process.
Reply
10:22 pm on May 3rd, 2009 5
I’ve seen it. And it is impressive. Yet, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed. Folks from the Corps of Engineers will admit it (privately). Also, just knowing the way Koreans in general and USFK in particular, operate, I poo-pooed the original date, when it would all be done. The date keeps sliding to the right. No one will quote the 2012 date anymore. Now it’s 2014-16. I’m just betting that its 2021 +/- 2 years when they “get ‘er done”.
Watching USFK and the Koreans negotiate is very similar to watching the Special Olympics.
Reply