South Korea to Seek A Quicker Return of Closed U.S. Military Bases
Here is the latest on the return of closed out U.S. military bases in South Korea:
Cheong Wa Dae said Friday it will redouble efforts for the early return of more than two dozen U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) bases.
It was briefing media on the results of a weekly meeting of the National Security Council’s (NSC) standing committee.
The USFK has been moving its bases nationwide mainly to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. It’s named Camp Humphreys.
The process of South Korea regaining the sites of the affected bases has been going slowly, however, partly due to handling of polluted soil.
In the session, presided over by Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae’s national security office, the NSC panel members agreed to “push actively for an early return” of the sites of 26 USFK bases, which will be vacant or have already been, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
“In particular, (they) agreed to begin the return process on the Yongsan base (in central Seoul) within this year,” it said.
Top security officials, including the defense minister, especially decided to seek the return of four bases at the earliest possible date, it added.
They are Camp Long and Camp Eagle in Wonju, Gangwon Province, as well as Camp Market in Incheon and Camp Hovey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province.
Those who reside in nearby areas have suffered economic troubles because of a long delay in the return of the bases, the NSC officials noted.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
Why the push? So they can tear everything down and let nature take its course as they did at Camp Edwards after they screamed about fuel in the dirt although the agreement said “as is” oh wait, valuable property in Seoul, gotta raze it and build more empty overpriced high rises or the world class golf resort the Korean groundskeepers swore was going in after the USFK was forced out circa 1989.
well that is neat. Unfortunately due to construction delays and mistakes in construction by the Korean companies the ROK Government contracted with to build the facilities on CP Humphreys places like Yongsan and CP Market can’t close because units and activities new buildings on CP Humphreys are not complete. In some cases building are 2 years or more behind schedule.
2ID DOC, no no Yongsan is going to be turned into a beautiful park…..you know, the Park Side APT, Park View APT, Downtown Park APT, and if there is room the Park Villas
Flyingsword, you forgot the temple to saint Kim Il Sung.
The only base they really give a crap about is the highly valuable Yongsan, in the heart of Seoul. Many, many apartment buildings can be thrown up in short order.
The rest? Too far out in the country to really even bother with.
You can tell, as they skipped over Camp Red Cloud to mention Camp Hovey. Hovey is still in use, RC has been shut down for almost a year. I know, because I went to RC to scrounge an office chair because we have the worst supply clerk on the peninsula…
Hovey also butts up against the tiny town of Teokgo-ri, while CRC is in Uijeongbu and actually has stuff around and nearby.
I wonder if they’re going to try and keep the Par 3 course, or just eventually tear everything apart to slap up new buildings.
This (Golf Course) We’ll Defend!
Camp Colbern was closed in 2005 and everything was torn down or torn up (4 underground missile storage bunkers). They were supposed to build a school or park there, but the land was too polluted. Colbern was about 20 miles east southeast of Seoul, south of Hanam City. Still nothing on the site.
The reason for the rush may be because the Moon administration wants to put down the expedient return of US bases as its ‘achievement.’
Note the timing. This is retaliation for our criticism of SK pulling out of GSOMIA.