US Garrison Command Denies Passes to New Geolsandong Residents... Inconvenience Persists

Garrison Command Refuses to Issue Passes to New Geolsandong Residents
US Military Base Pass Denial Forces Residents to Use Dangerous Forest Road
Dongducheon City Returns 17 Official Passes in Protest to US Garrison Command
Dongducheon City: "Guarantee Residents’ Right of Passage" vs. US Military: "Base Security"... Conflict Intensifies

Dongducheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Hyungdeok) announced on the 4th that it has confirmed the issuance of US military base passes to new residents of Geolsandong, known as the "island on the land," was denied by the decision of the Yongsan-K-6 Garrison Command, contrary to initial expectations.

Dongducheon City confirmed that the issuance of US military base passes to new residents of Geolsandong, known as the "island on the land," was denied by the decision of the Yongsan-K-6 Garrison Command, contrary to initial expectations. Photo by Dongducheon City

The garrison command maintains that it cannot issue passes to residents who moved to Geolsandong after June 29, 2022, citing base security as the reason. As a result, residents who have not received passes are inconvenienced by having to use a dangerous forest road to travel to and from the village.

During this time, the city has consistently raised concerns about the suspension of pass issuance for newly relocated residents through working-level meetings, official correspondence, and meetings with the garrison commander. In addition, in May, the mayor sent an official letter to the garrison commander requesting the resumption of pass issuance, among other multifaceted efforts. However, the garrison command continues to adhere to its existing policy, citing base security.

In response, the city submitted application documents to the US 2nd Infantry Division in July, seeking to obtain passes through the division’s guarantee, and has been awaiting the outcome. However, when the garrison command also rejected this attempt, city officials expressed their dismay.

Due to the garrison command’s refusal to issue passes, the inconvenience faced by new residents of Geolsandong is expected to persist, and anxiety is mounting among those who must use the forest road, which is especially difficult to clear of snow in winter.

One Geolsandong resident complained, “The garrison command’s policy is ultimately fueling conflict within the community,” and added, “The command should listen to residents and reconsider its policy.”

Dongducheon City and the city council also expressed deep regret over the garrison command’s decision and, in solidarity with the residents of Geolsandong and to fulfill their responsibilities as a local government, have decided to return 17 passes that had been issued for official use.

A city official stated, “We will do our utmost to ensure residents’ basic right of passage,” and added, “We will make every effort to promptly devise a practical solution.”

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