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April 25, 2007
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| The Defense Ministry said yesterday it has chosen a consortium as the preferred bidder to handle the relocation of U.S. troops here to an expanded base south of Seoul, but the announcement was shortly overshadowed by controversy over the transparency of the selection process. The CH2M HILL-Kunwon consortium consists of one American firm, CH2M HILL, and four South Korean companies ― Kunwon Engineering, Yooshin Engineering, ITM and Topec Engineering & Consulting. The decision was made by a 10-member panel, five each from South Korea and the United States, to review bid proposals, the ministry said. The two sides agreed last month on a master plan for the work to relocate U.S. troops in Seoul and all points north to a remodeled and greatly expanded Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of the capital. The allies plan to almost evenly split the financial burden, estimated to total around 11 trillion won ($11.7 billion). “Four consortiums joined the bidding and the panel reached a consensus to choose CH2M Hill-Kunwon as preferred bidder in a transparent manner,” said Lee Jae-young, a spokesman at the U.S. Forces Korea Base Relocation Office at the Defense Ministry. “We plan to sign a five-year contract in the middle of May if contract terms are agreed through negotiations.” The ministry has earmarked 160 billion won for the employment of a consortium to manage the project, and the U.S. Forces Korea is expected to spend a similar amount, Lee added. But the selection of the consortium is already mired in controversy over whether the process was transparent. Citing an unidentified source, the Munhwa Ilbo reported that the head of CH2M HILL’s Korean offshoot is a family member of the commander of the Far East Engineer District, which oversees the construction of life and operational facilities for American troops on the peninsula. Lee, however, denied that family ties affected the process. |
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