Gyeonggi-do Holds Second Half Policy Council Meeting on Development of USFK Returned Land and Other Areas

Joint Workshop Held at Island Castle in Uijeongbu-si with Province, City-County, and External Experts
Discussion on Improvement Proposals for Returned Land Legal System and Development Directions
Expert Lecture for Communication and Work Capacity Enhancement... Field Tour of Returned Land Camp

On the 5th, Gyeonggi Province held the '2024 Second Half Policy Council and Joint Workshop for the Activation of Development in U.S. Military Returned and Contributed Areas' at Island Castle in Uijeongbu.

Gyeonggi Province held the '2024 Second Half Policy Council and Joint Workshop for the Activation of Development in Returned U.S. Military Base Areas' on the 5th at Island Castle in Uijeongbu, followed by a commemorative photo session. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

At the policy council held that day, more than 50 participants including provincial and city/county officials in charge of development around U.S. military returned and contributed areas, external experts from the Gyeonggi Research Institute, Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation, and academia gathered to discuss proposals for improving laws and systems related to returned and contributed areas and the development direction of these areas.

During the meeting, discussions were held on clarifying the timing for calculating land acquisition costs for returned sites based on the date the return is decided, allowing free use of returned sites when utilized for public interest purposes, and addressing the low business feasibility of sites located near border areas due to low population and consequently low demand for educational, cultural, and tourism facilities. Support measures were proposed to facilitate the attraction of private investment projects for long-term undeveloped returned sites.

Following the policy council, a workshop featured special lectures by Professor Lee Hoon of Shinhan University on 'Unification of Military Facility-Related Regulations for the Northern Gyeonggi Region' and Nam Ji-hyun, Director of the Balanced Development Center at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, on 'Current Status and Challenges of U.S. Military Contributed Areas in Korea.' After the council, participants conducted a field tour of the completed development projects around the Uijeongbu returned contributed area camp and planned development sites.

A Gyeonggi Province official stated, "We will continuously propose the matters discussed at the policy council to central government ministries and collaborate with cities and counties to actively promote the development of returned and contributed areas."