Environmentalists protest contamination in new children's park
Environmentalists stage a protest in front of Yongsan Children's Garden in Seoul, Thursday, condemning the opening of the new park on land returned to Korea by the U.S. Forces Korea. The site is claimed to be heavily contaminated with toxic chemicals. Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
Environmentalists on Thursday protested the opening of a new children's park on land returned recently to Korea by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), claiming the ground is contaminated with toxic chemicals from its decades in American hands and needs to be cleaned up first.
Local activists from Green Korea United and like-minded citizens of central Seoul's Yongsan District where the park is located gathered in front of the park's main gate hours before its scheduled opening at 2 p.m.
The country's environment ministry had tested the site and found carcinogenic toxins ― including total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), lead, mercury, arsenic and xylene ― in concentrations “way higher” than legally allowed safety standards, the activists claimed. They said that despite the fact, the ground remains untreated.
“According to the country's Soil Environment Conservation Act, this ground is unfit for a park,” the activists said. “But the presidential office has decided to open it to the public after having poured new earth and planted a lawn over the hazardous remains.”
The activists included parents from Shinyongsan Elementary School near the park and local residents fighting for ecological parks. They rallied in front of what used to be Gate 14 of the U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan, a large-scale facility in central Seoul which is almost completely empty after relocating most personnel to USAG Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee enter Yongsan Children's Garden in Seoul during the park's opening ceremony, Thursday. Yonhap
The activists in front of the gate performed a skit poising themselves as victims of the toxicity, standing on top of an image of drums of petroleum and wearing protective suits smeared with soot.
Previous news reports had highlighted the contamination and questioned the site's feasibility as a city park. The reports came as President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his inauguration last May, announced his pledge to open the park. The park is built on land that previously housed family housing, sports fields and a helicopter landing site in the southwestern corner of the 2.43-square-kilometer garrison which now also neighbors the new presidential office.
Environmentalists and politicians objecting to the plan had said the ground is contaminated with chemicals used by military machines and other toxins which were poured out by USFK personnel underneath their own camp, while they were occupying the site.
There was no way to confirm whether Americans were dumping chemicals on base, as the U.S. military site has been outside the Korean government's jurisdiction, according to the park project's dissenters.
Despite the rally, President Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee opened the gate to the children's park at 2 p.m. the same day. Some 200 guests, including children and parents, joined the opening ceremony.