Governor Kim Dong-yeon: "U.S. Military Concession Areas Will Be a Game Changer for Northern Gyeonggi Province"

Governor Kim Dong-yeon Visits Dongducheon, Emphasizes Commitment to Northern Region Grand Remodeling
Announces Plans for 300 Billion Won Development Fund and Legislative Support Team
'On-Site Tour for Livelihood and Economic Issues' Held at Dongyang University Dongducheon Campus, Former Camp Castle Site

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited Dongducheon and expressed his strong determination to make the development of the U.S. military return and concession areas a 'game changer' for northern Gyeonggi Province.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon is holding an on-site meeting to promote the development of the US military return grant area in Gyeonggi Province at Dongyang University Dongducheon Campus in Dongducheon City on the 16th. Photo by Lee Jonggu

As the ninth stop of his 'On-Site Tour for Livelihood and Economic Issues,' which aims to review provincial affairs and listen to residents' voices, Governor Kim attended the 'On-Site Meeting to Revitalize the Development of the U.S. Military Return and Concession Areas in Gyeonggi Province' held at Dongyang University Dongducheon Campus on the 16th.

At the meeting, Governor Kim stated, "Through an entirely new approach and initiatives, we will make the U.S. military concession areas a game changer that transforms northern Gyeonggi Province," adding, "Before the central government steps in, Gyeonggi Province will take the lead and work proactively with Dongducheon City."

He continued, "Northern Gyeonggi Province has suffered from overlapping regulations and disadvantages such as U.S. military concession areas for over 70 years. To fundamentally change the unfavorable circumstances in the north, we are pursuing the Northern Region Grand Remodeling Project, with the development of the unreturned concession areas at its very core."

He further emphasized, "Development of the unreturned concession areas is the core of all game changers. Fortunately, under the current government, President Lee Jaemyung has expressed a strong commitment to the unreturned concession areas. I also discussed with Mayor Park Hyungdeok that, as the opportunity has come, we should seize it with full force."

Governor Kim also said, "As President Lee Jaemyung has clearly demonstrated his commitment to developing the unreturned concession areas, Mayor Park Hyungdeok and I have agreed to make the most of this opportunity. Gyeonggi Province will create a 300 billion won development fund, pursue regulatory reforms, expand transportation infrastructure, and establish a legislative support team to resolve the long-standing issue of unreturned concession areas."

Dongyang University Dongducheon Campus is located on the former Camp Castle site, part of which was returned in 2015 and subsequently opened as a university in 2016. This site is significant in terms of utilizing returned concession land.

The U.S. military return and concession area in Dongducheon covers 40.63 square kilometers (12.29 million pyeong), accounting for 42% of the city's total area (95.7 square kilometers). Part of Camp Castle was returned in March 2015 and became the site for Dongyang University. Part of Camp Nimble was returned in 2007 and developed into a riverside park. Camp Jimbols Training Ground was returned in 2005 and is being developed into an arboretum and forest welfare town, though the project has been delayed. The remaining camps-Camp Mobile, Camp Casey, and Camp Hovey-remain unreturned for the long term. The unreturned area totals 17.4 square kilometers (5.27 million pyeong).

Under the three principles of 'initiative, progressiveness, and local focus,' Gyeonggi Province established a dedicated task force for revitalizing the development of the U.S. military return and concession areas in August and has been operating it since then.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is holding an on-site meeting to revitalize the development of the U.S. military return concession area in Gyeonggi Province at Dongyang University Dongducheon Campus in Dongducheon City on the 16th. Photo by Lee Jong-gu

Over the next 10 years, the province plans to establish a 300 billion won development fund to directly support land acquisition and infrastructure construction costs, and will improve business conditions through regulatory and tax incentives.

Additionally, the province will propose to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to ease the guidelines for lifting development restriction zones (Green Belt), and will revise the 'Gyeonggi Province Local Tax Reduction Ordinance' to expand acquisition tax exemptions from small and medium-sized enterprises to large corporations and public institutions, thus promoting regulatory relaxation.

Furthermore, the province plans to strengthen the railway network by extending KTX Paju and GTX-C to Dongducheon, and will invest 2.3 trillion won by 2040 to create nine new provincial road routes, thereby expanding infrastructure to enhance accessibility and growth potential in northern Gyeonggi Province.

In particular, to fundamentally resolve the reality that about 40% (29 square kilometers) of the 22 developable returned concession areas (72 square kilometers) have remained unreturned for more than 20 years, Gyeonggi Province will newly establish and implement a legislative support team to expand national support for long-term unreturned concession areas.

The legislative support team, led by the Director of the Balanced Development Planning Office, will include provincial and municipal officials as well as legal experts, and will work to establish a legal and institutional foundation for providing practical compensation and support to areas suffering from unreturned concession areas, including enacting and revising relevant laws and regulations.