US Military Remaining Base Considered to Move 'Round and Round' to Huam-dong

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It appears that the Yongsan US military residual base, as well as the US Embassy and Dragon Hill Lodge, will remain in the Huam-dong area of Yongsan. Initially, only the US Embassy in Korea was expected to remain, but it is reported that the US military residual base has not found an alternative site within the Seoul area.

On the 8th, a government official stated, “As a candidate for an alternative site for the US military residual base in Yongsan, we are reviewing the northern Huam-dong area of the Main Post where the ROK-US Combined Forces Command is located.”

Originally, the ROK and US had agreed to place the residual base on the current Dragon Hill Lodge site (105,000㎡) after relocating the Yongsan base to Pyeongtaek. However, the residual site adjacent to the east wall of the current presidential office is only 300 meters away. Because of this, the ROK and US have begun to reconsider alternative sites.

If the currently discussed residual site is decided upon, there will be no US military-owned land remaining within the South Post where the presidential office is located. However, a government official said, “While it is correct that the area around the planned US Embassy relocation site is being reviewed as a candidate for the alternative residual base site, the conditions must match, so it has not been decided as the alternative residual base site.”

Earlier, on the previous day, Kim Byung-joo, a member of the Democratic Party, predicted in interviews with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ and TBS Radio’s ‘Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory’ that the alternative residual base site would be “between the War Memorial and Yongsan High School.”

Kim stated, “Since there is no land available to purchase 100,000㎡ in other parts of Seoul, it is highly likely that the US Embassy will move to the Huam-dong area inside the Yongsan base.”

The issue lies in the cost burden of relocating the presidential office due to the adjustment of the residual base location and the disruption of development plans in the surrounding area.

Kim argued, “According to the existing plan, the Dragon Hill Lodge would continue to be used, minimizing the budget. However, if the site is relocated, a new hotel like the Dragon Hill Lodge would need to be built, which would cost over 300 billion KRW just for the hotel at the current level.”

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