Mayor Park Hyungdeok of Dongducheon Urges Government for Substantial Support
Calls for State-Led Development and Special Law for U.S. Military Base Sites
Dongducheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Hyungdeok) has strongly urged the government to recognize the seriousness of issues related to U.S. military bases and to provide substantial support measures.
On July 8, Dongducheon City attended a meeting of relevant agencies regarding unreturned U.S. military bases held at the Government Complex Sejong. At the meeting, the city emphasized the seriousness of the problems it faces due to the U.S. military bases and strongly called for practical government support, according to an announcement on July 9.
This meeting was a follow-up measure after President Lee Jaemyung instructed the Ministry of National Defense to conduct a forward-looking review of the unreturned base issue during a cabinet meeting on July 1. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, with the participation of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and heads of relevant departments from five cities where the bases are located.
Mayor Park Hyungdeok requested the following: the prompt return of unreturned bases such as Camp Casey and Camp Hovey; the enactment of a special law to support long-term unreturned U.S. military base zones if long-term stationing is required for national security reasons; the revision of the special law supporting areas surrounding U.S. military bases; an increase in the ratio of national subsidies; special support through local allocation tax; inclusion of new projects in the comprehensive development plan; and state-led development of the Sangpaedong National Industrial Complex and returned base sites.
An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, "We fully recognize the difficulties faced by local governments that host these bases, and we will develop the most reasonable and efficient solutions based on the various opinions gathered at this meeting."
Park Hyungdeok, Mayor of Dongducheon, said, "I hope that President Lee Jaemyung's principle of 'special compensation for special sacrifice' will now become a reality," and added, "I hope this meeting will serve as a turning point in resolving the long-standing issue of the U.S. military base sites in Dongducheon."
For 74 years, Dongducheon City has provided 40.63 square kilometers?equivalent to 42% of the city's total area (95.66 square kilometers)?as U.S. military base sites. The four unreturned bases total 17.42 square kilometers, which accounts for about 70% of the total 25 square kilometers of unreturned U.S. military bases nationwide (11 sites).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
