Park Gyuntaek's 3rd Pledge: 'Closure of Pyeongdong Shooting Range and Creation of Welfare Town' Announcement

Park Gyuntaek, a preliminary candidate for the National Assembly representing Gwangsan-gu (Gap), Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced his third policy pledge: "Abolition of the Pyeongdong Artillery Range and Promotion of a Complex Welfare Town Development."

On the morning of the 15th, Park announced the pledge at the Jinsim Camp election office located in Wolgok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, with about 60 attendees including Jeong Joongseop, Chairman of the Health Town Policy Special Committee, Jeon Jungwon, Chairman of the Artillery Range Abolition Countermeasure Special Committee, and other committee members.

The plan involves relocating the Pyeongdong Artillery Range to the existing comprehensive training ground within Sangmu Base and developing a complex welfare town and a medical and recreational complex on the site to address the vulnerabilities in the western region, including attracting a university hospital.

Park stated, "Although the Ministry of National Defense’s transfer project regulations specify a donation-based transfer method, an artillery range has already been established at the comprehensive training ground adjacent to Sangmu Base in Jangseong. Since there is no donation target for the Pyeongdong artillery range relocation, it can simply be moved to the comprehensive training ground and abolished."

The complex welfare town and medical and recreational complex to be developed on the artillery range site have been proposed to Gwangju City as part of the city’s urban planning and mid-to-long-term projects, to be implemented in phases.

He explained the funding method, saying, "The development of the complex welfare town will be reflected as a priority project of Gwangju City, and for the medical and recreational complex, we will devise plans to attract excellent related companies to reduce the financial burden on Gwangju City."

He added, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, the Ministry of National Defense’s decision to abolish the Pyeongdong artillery range was achieved, but due to political indifference and neglect, a good opportunity was missed. The process of establishing an artillery range near Sangmu Base had been at a standstill due to opposition such as noise from the expected relocation area. It is fortunate that we have now found grounds to abolish the artillery range."