Pohang City and Residents' Countermeasure Committee Urge Rights Commission Suseong Shooting Range Investigation Team to "Consider Our Suffering"

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Decides to Suspend US Apache Helicopter Firing During Adjustment Period with Ministry of National Defense on the 8th

The on-site investigation team of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission conducting damage investigation near the Suseong Shooting Range in Pohang on the 18th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] At the request of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), the live-fire training of the U.S. Army Apache helicopters at the Suseong Shooting Range in Janggi-myeon, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, has been temporarily suspended. On the 18th, the ACRC conducted damage investigation activities on-site in Pohang.

On that day, the Opposition Committee welcomed the ACRC on-site investigation team, which will continue until the 19th, saying, "We expect reasonable adjustments from the perspective of the people."

At a meeting with the investigation team, Cho Hyun-cheok, the representative of the opposition committee, emphasized, "The residents of Janggi-myeon have been experiencing extreme anxiety and fear due to the noise, vibrations, and forest fires caused by year-round shooting training conducted by the Army, Navy, and defense contractors for the past 56 years," adding, "Physical and mental damages as well as material damages continue to occur without end."

Examples of damages include ▲damage caused by noise and vibrations (hearing loss, building cracks, decreased pregnancy rates and miscarriages in livestock) ▲damage caused by military vehicles such as tanks moving (exhaust fumes, noise, traffic congestion) ▲damage caused by scattered military lands (land price decline, avoidance of large-scale development investment plans, and risk of cancellation) ▲damage from artillery training in Pohang.

A Pohang city official also attended the meeting and explained projects near the shooting range, such as the Costa Valley tourist complex, Yangpo Port Marina, and the large-scale smart aquaculture cluster development, expressing, "The shooting training is causing enormous obstacles to project promotion."

In response, an ACRC official said, "We fully understand the pain of the local residents who have endured the suffering caused by military shooting training for 56 years," and promised, "We will do our best to resolve grievances from the residents' perspective."

Meanwhile, on the 8th, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission held a 'Collective Grievance Coordination Preparation Meeting' at the Government Sejong Complex with the Pohang Suseong Shooting Range Opposition Committee, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, and the Commander of the 1st Marine Division, deciding to temporarily suspend the U.S. Army Apache helicopter live-fire training during the coordination period.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's on-site investigation team is holding a meeting with residents of the Opposition Countermeasure Committee on the 18th.

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