Already well covered by The Lost Nomad (and here), GI Korea, and The Marmot. My two cents…

The U.S. and ROK governments have had plans to relocate most of USFK out of Yongsan Post in the middle of Seoul to the Pyeongtaek area near Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys. Last year the process finally began in earnest, and this year some of the changes have been apparent, including the purchase of land in the are for the eventual use of USFK. Apparently the South Korean government has purchased some of the land from unwilling sellers with something akin to the ‘eminent domain’ clause in the U.S., while other residents have the ‘not in my yard’ sentiment (i.e., they may recognize the need for U.S. troops in Korea, but not in their neighborhood).

Like jihadi’s trekking to Iraq, and the moth to the flame, this situation begs the many leftist, anti-U.S. Korean groups to flock to protests:

The Defense Ministry and Pyeongtaek residents are locked in escalating tensions over a plan to move U.S. bases to the town. The Defense Ministry plans to secure land for U.S. Forces in Korea scheduled for relocation from Seoul, Uijeongbu and Dongducheon, but locals say their land is not for sale… Locals and 135 civic groups have formed a committee to stop base expansion in their area.“We will reject all attempts to forcefully take the land.” On Sunday, nearly 10,000 students, residents and members of rights groups took to the streets in a march against base expansion… a member of the committee, said, “Living near the U.S. bases, we’ve suffered for decades from environmental pollution, sound pollution and other things, and now we must surrender even our land?” He vowed the committee would accept no Defense Ministry offer predicated on compensation… Clashes with police during Sunday’s march left about 100 injured. [emphasis added]

A comment on the pollution from U.S. bases they have “suffered”; not true. U.S. bases worldwide operate under burdensome and expensive OASHA standards, and in Korea’s case the posts are often pristine relative to the surrounding areas. Noise, at Osan, yes; but not other forms.

More of the same is sadly unavoidable in the near future, and over the next few years. I only wish that protesters would do so at the doors of their own government, i.e., the right people to complain to. Of course this will not happen, but that what they should do.