Convenience Facilities for 'Off-Duty Soldiers' to Be Established in Yangju, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will invest 900 million KRW to create convenience facilities for soldiers on leave in three border areas including Yangju.

On the 27th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will promote the "Convenience Facility Construction Project for Military Personnel" targeting areas with a high concentration of soldiers in border regions to boost the morale of military personnel and revitalize the local economy.

This project is designed to establish convenience facilities for soldiers on leave in border areas where many military units are located, in line with the government's ongoing "Military Personnel Leave System."

The government has been expanding the "Military Personnel Leave System," which allows soldiers to leave after weekday duties, nationwide since February last year following a pilot project in 2018. Soldiers who have finished their duties are permitted to leave for four hours from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM for purposes such as team-building activities, self-development, and personal errands (such as hospital visits).

Accordingly, the province plans to spend a total of 900 million KRW, including 420 million KRW from provincial funds and 480 million KRW from city and county funds, to pilot the creation of convenience facilities for soldiers through remodeling shared and idle facilities and providing equipment support in three cities/counties: Yangju, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon.

According to the detailed project plan, rest facilities equipped with PC rooms and relaxation spaces for soldiers will be established in Yangju and Yeoncheon. Additionally, Pocheon will have a rest area with PCs, books, and a Wi-Fi zone.

The province finalized the project details by collecting opinions from local residents and surveying preferred facilities for soldiers on leave through the target cities and counties.

These facilities will be operated either by social-economic organizations such as village enterprises under consignment or directly by the respective local governments.

The province plans to establish the convenience facilities for soldiers between May and June, operate them for one to two months, and if the response is positive, expand the project to other border areas.

A provincial official stated, "If these convenience facilities are established, they are expected to greatly enhance the convenience of soldiers and also inject vitality into the stagnant commercial districts within the border areas. We will do our best to promote the project so that it can serve as a hub for win-win cooperation among civilians, government, and military."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.