South Korea and the United States have finalized agreements on the relocation of an American military base in Seoul to the south of the Han River, resuming the relocation project after an 11-year hiatus.

The two sides agreed on Friday at the 10th round of the Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative Talks in Washington that Seoul would provide around three-and-a-half million pyeong, or some 2,800 acres of land south of Seoul for the U.S. military base.

The size of land was a major point of contention in negotiations over the relocation of the U.S. Yongsan garrison. The U.S. wanted nearly 3,000 acres, while South Korea insisted on less than 2,700 acres.

The two sides also agreed to set the transfer costs for C4I, a defense system against possible North Korean attack, so as not to exceed nine million U.S. dollars.

As a result, the relocation of the U.S. Yongsan base out of Seoul is expected be finalized by 2009 at the latest.

Under a 1990 agreement, the two countries agreed to relocate U.S. military units in central Seoul to the Pyeongtaek area, 70 kilometers south of the capital, by 2007.

South Korea and the United States have finalized agreements on the relocation of an American military base in Seoul to the south of the Han River, resuming the relocation project after an 11-year hiatus.

The two sides agreed on Friday at the 10th round of the Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative Talks in Washington that Seoul would provide around three-and-a-half million pyeong, or some 2,800 acres of land south of Seoul for the U.S. military base.

The size of land was a major point of contention in negotiations over the relocation of the U.S. Yongsan garrison. The U.S. wanted nearly 3,000 acres, while South Korea insisted on less than 2,700 acres.

The two sides also agreed to set the transfer costs for C4I, a defense system against possible North Korean attack, so as not to exceed nine million U.S. dollars.

As a result, the relocation of the U.S. Yongsan base out of Seoul is expected be finalized by 2009 at the latest.

Under a 1990 agreement, the two countries agreed to relocate U.S. military units in central Seoul to the Pyeongtaek area, 70 kilometers south of the capital, by 2007.