Changwon City and Civic Groups Unite to Halt Construction of US Military Shooting Range in Urban Area

Empathizing with Residents' Anxiety, Prioritizing Citizen Safety and Protection

Residents are strongly opposing the news that a U.S. military rifle shooting range will be established in the heart of Changwon city, Gyeongnam.

On the morning of the 4th, Changwon Special City sent a formal letter to the Ministry of National Defense requesting the suspension of construction and relocation of the shooting range, while a press conference was held by civic groups in front of the city hall entrance.

The Changwon Countermeasure Committee is urging the suspension of the U.S. military shooting range facility improvement project at Palyongsan in Uichang-gu, exclusively used by the U.S. Forces Korea.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

The Changwon Countermeasures Committee for the Suspension and Closure of the U.S. Military Exclusive Shooting Range emphasized, “The construction of the U.S. military shooting range, which threatens the lives of Changwon citizens, must be stopped.”

“The shooting range is located right in the middle of downtown Changwon, within 1 km of large apartment complexes, shopping facilities, a bus terminal, and industrial complexes,” they said. “Nearby residents have to live with the risk that stray bullets might fly through apartment windows that are clearly visible from the shooting range.”

“People might have to see bullet-damaged windows when they come home, and bullets could even come out in children’s playgrounds,” they added. “Since the maximum rifle range is 2.5 km and the residents’ living areas are clearly visible, this is a real danger.”

They stated, “Because it is a U.S. military facility, there is no information available to Changwon citizens about the shooting range’s size or the frequency of training.” They urged ▲ suspension of the shooting range expansion construction ▲ closure of the shooting range ▲ disclosure of U.S. military data on hazardous facilities around Palyongsan Mountain.

The delegation of the Changwon Countermeasures Committee for the Suspension and Closure of the Firing Range Exclusive to USFK is going to Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, to deliver a letter regarding the firing range.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

Immediately after the press conference, the delegation delivered a letter containing these demands to the city.

Ha Jongmok, the first deputy mayor, accepted the letter on behalf of Mayor Hong Nam-pyo, who was attending a meeting related to the new national industrial complex at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Sejong City.

Before the press conference, there was some conflict between the countermeasures committee and the security guards over the venue, vehicle parking, and speaker volume, but Changwon City and the committee agreed on suspending and relocating the shooting range construction.

Ha Jongmok, the 1st Deputy Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, is meeting with the delegation of the Changwon Countermeasures Committee for the construction suspension and closure of the US Forces Korea exclusive shooting range, expressing Changwon City's position on the shooting range.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

Deputy Mayor Ha said, “We deeply empathize with the concerns of nearby residents and citizens, and Changwon City is worried about potential harm to citizen safety.” He added, “With these concerns in mind, we have requested the Ministry of National Defense by phone and official letter to suspend construction, conduct a joint on-site investigation with Changwon City, hold a residents’ briefing session, and relocate the shooting range.”

He continued, “Although there were fewer residents in the past, now the shooting range is located in the city center, raising concerns about citizen safety and property damage. We have requested the Ministry of National Defense to consider alternative sites and plan to continue making these requests.” He concluded, “This is not just your or my problem, but an issue for our community. Let us all unite?Changwon City, the countermeasures committee, resident representatives, and local lawmakers.”

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