CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — Bars outside Area I bases that have catered only to U.S. soldiers are gradually refocusing their business to attract other customers, the Yonhap news agency reports.

Many Tongduchon bars, outside Camps Casey and Hovey, have closed in recent months only to reopen as restaurants catering to South Korean customers, the report stated.

And some bars now allow South Koreans and other foreigners during the early hours of the morning when U.S. soldiers are restricted to base by a curfew, according to the report.

The curfew and the U.S. military’s plan to move its 2nd Infantry Division soldiers south of Seoul in coming years have been hard on business, a Korea Special Tourist Association was quoted as saying.

Research by local government officials and Durebang — a non-governmental organization that works to protect women’s rights — estimates that 117 bars employing 456 staff cater to U.S. customers in Area 1.

Tongduchon has 84 bars with 314 employees, Uijongbu has 17 bars with 122 employees, and Paju has 16 bars with 20 employees, Durebang representative Park Jin-young told Stars and Stripes.