Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Yongsan military base back in Korean hands after 138 years
Choi Chang-won, first vice minister of government policy coordination, announces the return of 12 U.S. military sites to Korea during a joint government briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) for the first time returned part of the land inside Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul to the Korean government, Friday.
The site ― a sports field on South Post and a softball field adjacent to the National Museum of Korea with a combined size of 53,000 square meters ― was among 12 properties nationwide, formerly used by the U.S Forces Korea (USFK), whose returns have been announced.
Friday's measure made during the 201st joint committee meeting of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) brings Korea a step closer transforming the garrison into a national park. The meeting was held virtually.
The site of the garrison is prime real estate, occupying 2 million square meters in the heart of the nation's capital.
But the site has been occupied by foreign troops almost continuously since 1882 when troops from the Qing Dynasty built a military headquarters in Yongsan during their mission to quell the Imo Incident, an anti-government uprising during the Joseon Kingdom.
Yongsan therefore has been the center of public attention among more than 80 USFK sites that are subject to return in accordance with the 2002 Land Partnership Plan (LPP) and 2004 Yongsan Relocation Plan (YRP).
The process of returning USFK sites to Korea has been slower than planned, due to various national defense, diplomatic and environmental concerns.
“The government will try to have the last remaining military sites including the ones in Yongsan to be returned in appropriate time,” Choi Chang-won, first vice minister of government policy coordination, said during a joint government briefing at the Ministry of National Defense.
He explained the two allies took account of concerns in their measures that additional delays would further dampen regional development efforts.
He said discussion is underway with the USFK on environmental cleanup costs and also with local governments on development plans.
The 12 returned sites announced Friday had a combined size of 146,500 square meters, a little larger than half the size of Seoul's financial district of Yeouido.
They are scattered across the country.
Among them are a golf course in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province; Camp Jackson and Camp Mobile in the Gyeonggi provincial cities of Uijeongbu and Dongducheon, respectively; Camp Walker's heliport in Daegu; a Marine contingent site in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province; and a shooting range in Taebaek, Gangwon Province.
The YRP was to move most of U.S. service members out of the Seoul metropolitan area, while the LPP was to most of the U.S. forces stationed north of the Han River near the Demilitarized zone) to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.