South Korea’s National Assembly passed a bill Thursday that clears the way for the U.S. military to move its troops and units from Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to installations in the Pyongtaek region of central South Korea, officials confirmed Friday.
The bill allows the South Korean government to spend from $3 billion to $4 billion to move the Americans from Yongsan to Pyongtaek, an area that takes in the U.S. installations at Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base.
The Assembly voted Thursday night on the bill, after its foreign affairs and trade committee endorsed it earlier this week.
It also sets the stage for the U.S. military to shift its forces elsewhere on the peninsula to two main hubs — the one in the Pyongtaek region, the other in the Taegu-Pusan region in the southeast.
The moves are part of the far-reaching Land Partnership Plan, a 2002 accord between the United States and South Korea.
The LPP calls for the United States to close more than half its installations, give back large tracts of land to South Korea, and consolidate its forces in the two hubs.
“We’re looking forward to implementing these agreements,” said Col. MaryAnne Cummings, USFK spokeswoman. “They are good for both our great nations and for the future of our historic alliance.”