Blue House: Comprehensive agreement on relocating U.S. forces from Gwangju Military Airport for the 'semiconductor' project is 'nearly complete'

[Financial News] The Blue House said on the 30th that consultations on a comprehensive agreement covering the relocation of U.S. forces from Gwangju Military Airport to make way for a semiconductor cluster in Honam, as well as the relocation of other military bases, are nearly complete.
Wi Sung-lac, chief of the Blue House Office of National Security, met with reporters at the Blue House that day and said of the relocation of U.S. military facilities at Gwangju Military Airport, “The so-called comprehensive agreement for relocating other bases had made no progress because of several outstanding issues, but there has been progress recently, and it is nearly complete.” Gwangju Military Airport, selected as the site for the Honam semiconductor cluster, is a South Korea-U.S. Air Force joint operating base (COB). Land within the base has been provided for U.S. military use, so relocation requires consultations with the U.S. side.
Wi said South Korea and the United States had been discussing the wording of an agreement to facilitate the relocation of other military bases. He added, “The U.S. military wants to include Gwangju base in that agreement and address it together, and we have no objection,” and said, “If a comprehensive agreement is reached, it will include other bases and establish a framework for relocating Gwangju base.”

He identified the preparation of replacement facilities as key to the relocation. Wi said, “The U.S. military will move if replacement facilities are available,” adding, “If the replacement facilities are delayed, the move may be delayed too, but that is something we have to do.” He stressed, “We need to build replacement facilities somewhere so that the facilities currently there can be moved to that location.”
Wi dismissed concerns that the U.S. military could delay the relocation and disrupt the development of the semiconductor cluster. He said, “There is no sign that the United States plans to refuse to leave, dig in to obstruct things, or squeeze something out of us,” adding, “The broad agreement is also nearly complete, and at the detailed level, all that is needed is for replacement facilities to be built.”
He added, “It is a matter of making various preparations, including budgeting and construction for replacement facilities,” and said, “I want to say that there is no need to view this as such a serious problem.”
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter