President Lee Orders Proactive Review and Report on Returned U.S. Military Sites in Northern Gyeonggi

President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials on the 1st to proactively review and report on the issue of managing former U.S. military sites returned in northern Gyeonggi Province.

Kang Yoo Jung, spokesperson for the presidential office, announced during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on this day that President Lee, while presiding over the 28th Cabinet meeting, directed the Ministry of National Defense to "proactively review and report on the management of former U.S. military sites returned in northern Gyeonggi Province."

President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 1st at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Currently, various former U.S. military sites exist in the northern region of Gyeonggi Province, including Camp Red Cloud in Uijeongbu, Camp Greaves in Paju, and Camp Nimble in Dongducheon. Although various development projects have been promoted by local governments in these areas, they have faced difficulties due to various regulations and the poor financial conditions of local governments.

Kang further explained, "President Lee also emphasized that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety must thoroughly manage rainwater drainage systems during the rainy season and check the management status of ambulances, stressing that disasters must not occur due to a lack of proper management."

Additionally, Kang stated that President Lee asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to confirm whether the wildfire prevention system has been established and instructed the ministry to create a wildfire response system in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense.

Meanwhile, Kang reported that Lee Ju Ho, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education, who presided over his final Cabinet meeting on this day, shared his impressions by stating, "I was impressed by President Lee's active communication with Cabinet members appointed during the previous administration."