Dongducheon City Council Urges Immediate Issuance of Entry Passes for New Geolsan-dong Residents

The Dongducheon City Council of Gyeonggi Province has issued a strong protest through a statement regarding the recent controversy over the suspension of entry pass issuance for new residents of Geolsan-dong, Dongducheon, at the Camp Casey garrison of the United States Forces Korea.

The Dongducheon City Council of Gyeonggi Province issued a statement on the 25th regarding the situation of "the suspension of issuing access passes to new residents of Geolsan-dong, Dongducheon City, at the U.S. Army Camp Casey Headquarters." Provided by Dongducheon City Council

On July 25, at the closing ceremony of its 339th extraordinary session, the Dongducheon City Council (Chairman Kim Seungho) released a statement urging the immediate issuance of entry passes for new residents of Geolsan-dong.

In the statement, the council declared, "Dokdo is our land, and Geolsan-dong is Dongducheon’s land," and strongly objected by saying, "Being required to obtain permission from the US military just to enter one's own home is a case of the tail wagging the dog?an absurd reversal of priorities."

The council argued that the 'suspension of new pass issuance by the United States Forces Korea' constitutes a serious violation of the constitutional values of the Republic of Korea and the fundamental rights of Dongducheon citizens.

The council asserted that this directly infringes upon Article 3 (territorial clause) and Article 14 (freedom of residence and movement) of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. Furthermore, it criticized the Korean government for neglecting its constitutional duty under Article 10 to guarantee the basic rights of its citizens.

In the statement, the council said, "Dongducheon recognizes that the presence of the United States Forces Korea is unavoidable and indispensable for national security. For over 70 years, we have endured sorrow, stigma, and hardship with dedication, but what Dongducheon citizens have received in return is not fair compensation, but rather the shocking reality of not even being able to enter their own homes with peace of mind."

Through the statement, the Dongducheon City Council strongly urged the United States Forces Korea to immediately issue entry passes for new residents of Geolsan-dong, called on the government to take action to ensure that the constitutional rights of Dongducheon citizens are no longer violated, and demanded that the government promptly provide rightful compensation commensurate with Dongducheon’s 70 years of sacrifice for national security.

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