Yongsan Park to Open for a 13-Day Trial from the 25th of This Month... 2,500 Visitors Allowed Per Day

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] The partial opening site of Yongsan Park in Seoul, scheduled for temporary opening this September, will be pilot-opened for 13 days starting from the 25th.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "It is highly meaningful to share the process of transforming the long-closed Yongsan Base into an open space along with the relocation of the Presidential Office with the public," and added, "We will pilot open a part of the Yongsan U.S. military base being developed into Yongsan Park to the public." The ministry plans to collect citizens' opinions through this pilot opening and reflect them in the temporary opening scheduled for September.

The pilot opening will take place for a total of 13 days from the 25th of this month to the 6th of next month. The opening schedule will be held five times a day at two-hour intervals from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., accepting reservations for 500 people per session on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum of 2,500 visitors per day and a total of 32,000 visitors. Reservations for viewing will start at 2 p.m. on the 20th.

The areas to be pilot-opened this time include the General’s Quarters near Sinyongsan Station, the south side of the Presidential Office, and the sports field. Some visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the Presidential Office on a first-come, first-served basis. Listening mailboxes will be placed throughout the venue to collect opinions on the development of Yongsan Park.

On the 9th, South Korea and the United States finalized the contract for the return of the Yongsan U.S. military base site. Accordingly, 500,000 square meters, which is one-quarter of the total area of Yongsan Base (2.03 million square meters), will be returned within the first half of this year. The government plans to temporarily open part of the newly returned site in September.