South Korea is seeking to finalize a comprehensive agreement with the United States by the end of this year on plans to relocate jointly used air bases across the country, including the facilities in the southwestern city of Gwangju, a source familiar with the matter said Monday.
The move comes amid Seoul’s push to relocate the shared air base and military airport in Gwangju under an initiative to build a mega semiconductor cluster in the city and the broader surrounding region.
Seoul and Washington have been in talks since 2021 to set principles and procedures for base relocations across five collocated operating bases (COBs) in South Korea, following South Korea’s plan to relocate the military airfield in Daegu.
A COB operates as a base from which the US Air Force can deploy its assets in the event of a contingency. The base includes land provided to the US Forces Korea by the South Korean government.
The other three COBs are the air bases in Cheongju, Gimhae and Suwon.
The two sides tentatively agreed on a deal in October 2024 but had since made little headway as discussions reportedly hit a stalemate over a US draft proposal in November 2025.
But as both sides have made progress in recent working-level discussions, including on fine-tuning the language in the agreement, Seoul aims to finalize the pact by the end of this year, according to the source.
“We are consulting with the US side to include the temporary relocation of US military facilities inside the Gwangju Air Base in the comprehensive agreement on COB relocations currently under negotiation,” defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a press briefing earlier in the day.
Chung noted the government also plans to take swift steps for parliamentary consent for the agreement in accordance with required procedures.
