Seoul Extends Special Law to Support Pyeongtaek, Home to Largest U.S. Military Base in South Korea

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul government has approved a four-year extension of a special law on support for the local government of Pyeongtaek, which houses the largest U.S. military base in South Korea, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The revision to the law, first enacted in 2004, was promulgated on the day, following its approval in a Cabinet meeting a week earlier, the ministry said in a press release. The law was designed to provide support to the city of Pyeongtaek, which agreed to the expansion of the U.S. military base there, Camp Humphreys, and the relocation of other U.S. bases to the city. It was originally set to expire at the end of 2014 but has been extended three times, in 2011, 2017 and 2020, respectively. With the latest extension, the law will now expire at the end of 2030. Prior to the latest extension, the government cited ongoing projects designed to help develop the city, as well as the need to continue the relocation of some U.S. bases still remaining in Seoul and other parts of the country.