USFK Commander Wants Reassessment of Headquarters Relocation

GIKorea | December 14, 2018 | USFK | 5 Comments

The new USFK commander has some concerns about moving the USFK headquarters into the Defense Ministry building:

Gen. Robert Abrams, the U.S. Forces Korea commander, attends an alliance friendship event in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2018. (Yonhap)

South Korea and the United States are reconsidering a plan to relocate the combined command of their troops to the defense ministry compound in Seoul due to concern about operational efficiency, military sources said Thursday.
Combined Forces Command (CFC) chief Gen. Robert Abrams raised the need to rethink the plan, under which the CFC personnel will work in four different existing buildings in the compound.He is apparently concerned that it may lower the effectiveness of joint operations and affect the allies’ overall defense posture.
They have been in talks over the CFC issue in line with a broader scheme to move U.S. military bases in Seoul and north of the capital to Camp Humphreys, a sprawling U.S. military complex in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul.”(Gen. Abrams) has called on (his staff) to go back to the drawing board and explore various possibilities, including the relocation to the ministry compound,” a military source told Yonhap News Agency on the condition of anonymity.”
As he took the helm of the command and reviewed the plan, he apparently felt the need for the reconsideration,” the official added.What the commander wants is for the relocation plan to be reviewed, not for it to be immediately canceled. The commander, who also leads the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and U.N. Command, took office in November.
Alternative options include retaining the CFC in the current location in Yongsan, central Seoul, relocating it to Camp Humphreys or constructing a separate complex in the defense ministry.
Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but with the current ROK government it seems keeping the USFK headquarters on Yongsan Garrison would be difficult. Moving the headquarters to Camp Humphreys would create a geographical barrier between allied integration. Plus big decisions are made in Seoul and thus staff will need to continuously go to Seoul from Camp Humphreys. I guess we will see how this plays out.