The Seoul Metropolitan Government says it will push to turn the Yongsan Garrison into a national park when the U.S. military pulls out of the area by 2007 in line with a recent agreement reached between the two allies.

Seoul Mayor Lee Myong-bak said he plans to propose to the government the designation of the area in central Seoul into a large-scale park, and not a business or residential zone. Lee has repeatedly said that if returned to South Korea, the Yongsan Garrison will be turned into an equivalent of New York