New U.S. Army headquarters to open next week in South Korea

SEOUL, June 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Forces in South Korea will leave its longtime base in central part of Seoul to a new headquarters, 70 kilometers south of the capital city next week.

U.S. Forces Korea will hold an opening ceremony at its new Camp Humphreys in the city of Pyeongtaek on June 29, attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, according to defense sources, Yonhap reported.

The Eighth U.S. Army, which had been based in the Yongsan Garrison, moved to Camp Humphreys last year. U.S. Forces opened its base in Yongsan, central Seoul, in August 1945.

The plan for relocation was agreed in 2004 between South Korea and the United States to combine scattered U.S. military bases across the country. Other key units in northern part of the country have already relocated to Pyeongtaek.

Mattis will also hold a meeting with South Korean Defense Minister on June 28, according to South Korean Ministry of Defense on Thursday.

"U.S. Secretary of Defense Mattis will visit Korea in the afternoon on June 28 following his visit to China to hold a meeting with the South Korean Defense Minister. They expect to discuss various inter-Korean issues related to follow-up measures of the U.S.-North Korea Summit," said Defense Ministry Spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo said in a press briefing Thursday.