Suspicions of Favoring Certain Regions
Request to Decide After City-Province Integration
"The fair progress of the relocation project of military bases in Daegu is the first step toward the coexistence and integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk."
On the 11th, Chilgok County Governor Kim Jaeuk emphasized that the relocation project of military bases in Daegu is a touchstone for evaluating Mayor Hong Joonpyo's sincerity regarding the integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and called for fair and transparent implementation.
Governor Kim highlighted the significance of the military base relocation project in Daegu, while also expressing concerns about unnecessary social costs.
He also requested an official clarification to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts caused by Mayor Hong's remarks.
Governor Kim stated, "In July last year, Mayor Hong attended the Trot Festival held in Gunwi County and mentioned relocating the military base to Gunwi, which was incorporated into Daegu," and added, "Due to these remarks, local governments vying to attract the base believe that Daegu is favoring a specific region."
He continued, "Ahead of the integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Gunwi should not be unilaterally favored in the selection of relocation sites," and emphasized, "I hope that by officially clarifying previous statements, the sincerity of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration can be demonstrated and conflicts and distrust can be resolved. To dispel such concerns, selecting the relocation site after the integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk could be a solution."
Governor Kim also mentioned that the shooting range additionally requested by Daegu is larger than the military base site itself, referring to the candidate site for a common weapon shooting range, which is 10,430,000 square meters in size?equivalent to 1,580 soccer fields?where noise and fire hazards from mortars and other common weapons are a concern.
He said, "Daegu explained that the agreement signed with the Ministry of National Defense in December 2023 included the creation of a training range (shooting range), but in August 2022, when local governments first applied to host the military base, there was no mention of the candidate site for the common weapon shooting range, which requires consensus from local residents," and demanded, "The process should be transparently disclosed to prevent misunderstandings that this is a sudden plan change to favor a specific region."
Finally, Governor Kim stressed, "What is more important than attracting the military base is public sentiment and regional stability, so Chilgok County has no choice but to reconsider the hosting of the Daegu military base from the beginning," and added, "Regardless of the outcome, I hope the project proceeds smoothly and contributes to the integration and mutual development of Daegu and Gyeongbuk."
A promotional campaign is underway claiming that Chilgok is the optimal site for the military base relocation.
Meanwhile, as Daegu City and the Ministry of National Defense are promoting the relocation of four military bases, including the Army 2nd Operational Command and the 50th Division, five cities and counties?Chilgok County in Gyeongbuk, Yeongcheon City, Sangju City, Uiseong County, and Gunwi County in Daegu?are competing to attract them.
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