Assemblyman Song Gap-seok: "Mudeungsan Anti-Aircraft Battery Relocation Plan Must Be Completed by December Next Year"

On-site Discussion Held at Mudeungsan Anti-Aircraft Artillery Base with Ministry of National Defense, Military, Gwangju City, and Related Agencies

Ministry of National Defense Requests 'Prior Proposal' for Relocation Site Considering Unit Operation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Congressman Song Gap-seok (Gwangju Seo-gu Gap, Defense Committee) urged that the relocation plan for the Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base must be completed by December next year.

On the 29th, Congressman Song visited the Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base in Gwangju Metropolitan City and held a joint on-site discussion with related organizations including the Ministry of National Defense, the military, Gwangju City, and the Korea National Park Service.

The joint on-site discussion was attended by senior officials and working-level personnel from related organizations such as the Air Force Missile Defense Command, the Ministry of National Defense Military Facility Planning Officer, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Defense Operations Director, the Army 31st Infantry Division Deputy Operations Commander, the Gwangju Military Airport Traffic Bureau Director, and the Korea National Park Service Resource Conservation Director. Starting with reports from the Ministry of National Defense and the Air Force, discussions were held to prepare specific measures including the relocation plan for the Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base and mutual cooperation between civilian and military authorities.

At the meeting, Congressman Song emphasized, “The relocation plan for the Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base must be fully completed by December 2023, when Gwangju City's permission to use the shared property at the Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base site expires.”

He also mentioned the selection of the relocation site, which is a prerequisite and the biggest challenge for the relocation project.

Congressman Song stated, “As the main party responsible for the relocation project, the Ministry of National Defense should not shift the site selection responsibility to Gwangju City but should first propose candidate relocation sites to Gwangju City after reviewing unit operations, missions, operations, and economic feasibility,” and urged, “Please specify the candidate relocation sites during the National Assembly Defense Committee’s audit period.”

He also requested consideration of increasing the number of times the Mudeungsan summit is opened, which has been limited to twice a year and at most four times.

Furthermore, he pointed out, “Until now, Gwangju City and its citizens have maintained Mudeungsan by renovating and relocating recreational facilities at Jeungsimsa and Wonhyosa Temples, overcoming various obstacles such as the 80% private land ratio through citizens’ efforts, and achieved the great success of upgrading from a provincial park to a national park in 2013, 40 years after the provincial park designation,” adding, “The Ministry of National Defense should no longer stand by and watch the dedication and efforts of Gwangju citizens for the restoration of the Mudeungsan ecosystem.”

Mudeungsan, designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2018, was highly praised by evaluation committee members during the re-certification on-site inspection conducted last September, who said, “The columnar joints formed by tuff are rarely seen anywhere else in the world,” recognizing its efforts to preserve the ecosystem as a world-class geopark.

Meanwhile, the Air Force began using the summit area of Mudeungsan, owned by Gwangju City, free of charge since 1961, and the air defense artillery base has been stationed there since 1966.

The Mudeungsan Air Defense Artillery Base relocation project was first proposed by Gwangju City to the Ministry of National Defense in 1995, and after 20 years, in 2015, Gwangju City and the Ministry of National Defense signed a relocation agreement, but there has been little progress even after eight years.