Council Member Im Hyunsook of Dongducheon Urges Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly to Withdraw Full Cut of 30 Billion Won Base Development Fund

Im Hyunsook, Council Member of Dongducheon City Council (Democratic Party of Korea, District B), attended the "2025 Dongducheon Forum Discussion for Solutions to the U.S. Military Base Return Land Issues" held at the Dongducheon Citizens’ Hall on December 1.

Im Hyunsook, Council Member of Dongducheon City Council. Provided by Dongducheon City Council

This discussion was attended by Council Member Im, as well as officials from the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Gyeonggi Province. Kang Minjo, Director of the Center for Korean Peninsula and East Asian Studies, and Kang Hankoo, Director of the Defense Innovation Research Center, also participated as panelists. The discussion was moderated by So Sungkyu, Vice President of Daejin University.

During the discussion, Council Member Im stated, "Dongducheon has sacrificed for the nation for the past 75 years, but the government has failed to provide proper compensation or measures."

She particularly emphasized that the decision to relocate the U.S. military to Pyeongtaek in 2004 and the decision to keep the 210th Artillery Brigade in 2014 blocked local development and led to rapid economic decline due to urban hollowing. She pointed out, "In 2004, citizens even protested in Seoul, but the government did not enact a single special law."

Council Member Im mentioned the recent commitment from the central government and Gyeonggi Province to support the development of the returned land, stressing, "Dongducheon should be the very first city to receive this support."

However, she strongly criticized the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Planning and Finance Committee’s complete cut of the 30 billion won "U.S. Military Base Return Land Development Fund" from the 2026 main budget, calling it "a total disregard for the sacrifices of Dongducheon citizens."

Council Member Im expressed her determination to secure the rights that Dongducheon citizens deserve, stating, "If necessary, I will visit the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly myself with the citizens to deliver our message."

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