South Korea and the United States agreed Friday in Washington to complete the planned relocation of the US military command out of Seoul by 2008, one year behind its previous schedule.

The agreement was one the main point of a joint statement released at the end of a two-day military talks named Future of the Alliance (FOTA) began on Thursday.

According to the 14-point statement, South Korea will provide 11.5 million square meters of land in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul, to replace the Yongsan garrison.

"This figure was reached taking into account local constraints such as limited land space in South Korea and the relocation of local inhabitants to procure the necessary land," the 14-point statement said.

South Korean officials had raised the need to provide the reconsolidated US troops with less land after Washington said last month that it would cut its troop levels in South Korea by one third by next year.

Both sides also agreed that the United States will return three of its major military bases in South Korea at an earlier date than originally scheduled to help ensure the smooth process of US plans to reorganize its installations on the peninsula, according to the statement.

The two sides agreed to sign the accord on the Yongsan base relocation after respective legal conditions have been met, the statement said.

The agreement must be approved by the National Assembly in South Korea, a procedure that is expected to face difficulties owing to a clause that says South Korea should bear the relocation cost, estimated at around 3 billion to 4 billion US dollars.

The parties also agreed that South Korea will provide C4I (joint Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence system) infrastructure in the replacement base and relocate and reinstall C4I facilities currently used in the Yongsan bases, the statement said. The United States will assume the cost of C4I upgrades for equipment, it added.

The allies agreed that South Korea will assume the replacement costs of family housing owned by US personnel in the Yongsan camp, and additional housing will be met via build-to-lease housing at US expense, the statement said.

The relocation of the Yongsan base is a key part of a US reshuffle of its 37,500 troops in South Korea, along with another plan to pull back the 14,000-strong combat unit of the 2nd Infantry Division from the inter-Korean border.

The half-century presence of the Yongsan Garrison, which houses the US Forces Korea's headquarters, has been a constant source of anti-American protests by locals.