Defense officials of South Korea and the United States are expected to confirm their earlier agreement to relocate the U.S. military command out of Seoul by 2006 when they convene for talks in Seoul Monday.

Officials said that the three-day meeting on the "Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative," the fifth and last round of the dialogue, is aimed at redefining the framework of the allies' half-century military alliance ahead of an annual ministerial-level meeting later this month.

Cha Young-gu, a director of policy planning at the defense ministry and Richard Lawless, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense will represent each nation, respectively.

South Korean officials said that the participants are expected to finalize the designations of locales that will house the USFK and the UN command, both of which are expected to continue to stay at their present location in Yongsan even after the garrison is moved to Osan or Pyongtaek.

The two sides are also expected to work on revising what the South claims to be inequitable clauses in the memorandum of understanding and agreed framework signed in 1990, before a revised version is presented to the National Assembly for approval.

Lawless is also expected to meet a number of South Korean government officials to discuss the issue of dispatching additional troops to Iraq.