Massive camp shows US military resolve to see Korean Peninsula problem through

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — It's been a year since the last provocative threat from North Korea and hostile rhetorics have been replaced by handshakes, but this huge US military base that resembles a city is the biggest sign that American forces aren't leaving the Korean Peninsula soon.

Saddled near jagged mountains and rural villages in the port city of Pyeongtaek about 40 miles south of the South Korean capital of Seoul, Camp Humphreys sits between the North and South as a security buffer and deterrent.

The current rapprochement involving Pyongyang has been welcomed, but nobody's putting his or her guard down.

US officials said the rhetorics have eased but combined forces will always remain in a state of readiness.

A group of Asia-Pacific journalists were given a guided tour of the 3,600-acre garrison that is presently home to about 28,000 soldiers from combined forces. One mantra says it all: "Sustain, Support, Defend."

When its years-long expansion ends in a few years, Humphreys will be the largest US military base outside the American mainland. It's the US Army's most active airfield in the Pacific and its constructions and transformation is the largest such peacetime effort in the US Department of Defense's history, according to the US Army.

Agreeing to consolidate their forces in two main hubs, the largest of which will be Camp Humphreys, the US and South Korea moved to relocate troops into less congested southern areas of the Peninsula and further away from the potential reach of North Korea's long-range artillery. The US Army says the objective is to improve readiness and efficiency.

It's a major helicopter base that buzzes day and night with airfield operations. It also houses several US Army tactical and direct support units, including the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, elements of the 1st Signal Brigade, 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, 65th Medical Brigade, and dozens of other military units and commands.

It's often bruited that the troops at Humphreys are "ready to fight tonight." But with all the aura of military combat readiness, the builders made sure that the massive military enclave replicates a normal American suburban city half a world away partly to deal with homesickness.             

Hundreds of buildings, offices and recreational facilities have sprung up in recent years, including residential high-rises, public schools, fitness centers, a shopping mall, American retail stores and fastfood chains, saunas, music club and football fields. There are Starbucks, Pizza Hut, an 18-hole golf course, swimming pools and a 48-lane bowling alley.

The $10.7 billion expansion is mainly funded by the South Korean government, according to US news reports. There are traditional Korean designs, reflecting the blend of East and West culture.

Many of the Americans at the base have lived for years through the Korean denuclearization issue at its hostile episodes and welcome the dramatic easing of tensions with cautious optimism, US officials say.

But it's a difficult and complicated problem that won't go away overnight. Challenges remain.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In has called for the easing of sanctions against North Korea, saying this will encourage the rogue state to stay on a path to denuclearization. The Trump administration, however, has moved to maintain pressure on Kim Jong-Un.

Instability in the Korean Peninsula has also long worried the Philippines due to the large presence of Filipino workers in South Korea, numbering to around 60,000. An escalation of conflict is also seen to affect about 242,000 Filipinos in Japan due to its proximity to the Peninsula.

Asian and Western approaches to diplomacy differ. A US official says Asians often aim to establish relations first and work to build trust and await the action. Americans want to see actions first before trust and establishing relations, they say.

Despite expected humps along the way, US officials expressed optimism for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula with the ongoing diplomatic talks.

One official told the visiting reporters participating in a US State Department Reporting Tour on Northeast Asia that a unified Korea is a realistic possibility.

Across Camp Humphreys, life goes on as the US and the two Koreas embarked on a new trajectory to denuclearization and peace.

Everybody is monitoring the situation but move about normally day to day with the easing of overall tensions in a vastly different year, with American troops living with their families at Humphreys or staying in touch with loved ones half a world away in America, a US official said.

"It's designed to be soldier, family and pedestrian friendly," says a US Army promotional video of Camp Humphreys. — RSJ, GMA News