PAJU — The city of Paju in Gyeonggi Province has asked the central government to expand state funding and revise rules to allow genuine development of sites returned from U.S. military use, areas where construction was restricted for decades on national security grounds. The city argues that current state support, centered on land acquisition, is not enough to build parks and other infrastructure, and that assistance should reflect project conditions in each locality.
Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan explained the status of the returned base sites and key pending issues to Baek Seung-il, deputy head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination's support unit for U.S. military bases in Korea, during Baek's visit to Camp Howze the previous day, and called for more active government support, the city said on the 1st.
Because the sites were used for military purposes for many years, leaving residents to endure the inconvenience and constraints of development restrictions, the city said realistic development support that takes account of local characteristics and project viability must follow their return.
A neighborhood park project is being carried out in stages at Camp Howze, but state funding is concentrated on land acquisition costs, making it difficult to secure the money needed to build facilities. The city asked that state support be extended to construction costs and that rules be changed so that projects involving returned base sites receive priority in government competitive funding programs, including development projects for areas under special circumstances.
Paju also sought government cooperation in changing the approach to the Camp Gary Owen development project. The city initially pursued private-sector-led urban development, but mounting difficulties from high land acquisition costs and a slumping property market have led it to shift toward public development centered on amenities for residents. The city said active government cooperation on revising the comprehensive development plan is needed so the project plan can be adjusted to reflect those realities.
The city also asked the government to support an amendment to the special act on support for areas surrounding U.S. military bases in Korea, so that a wider range of development approaches, including long-term leases, can be permitted according to local characteristics and the sites can be put to better use.
"Paju's returned base areas are places where local residents endured sacrifice and inconvenience for many years for the sake of national security," Son said. "After their return, the government must provide real support so that a variety of development approaches suited to local conditions become possible."
The city said it plans to continue talks with the government and relevant ministries, using the site visit as a starting point, to make better use of the returned base areas and promote regional development.
