Republic of Korea
Industries Overview
Current Status of Issues in Return Areas of US Army Units in Korea
While providing “new areas” to the U.S. military, South Korea is also returning “old areas” that have been used by the U.S. forces for more than 70 years.
There are a total of 80 US military bases to be returned, of which 58 have already been returned, and 22 US military bases are scheduled to be returned, including 9 US military bases in Yongsan (Main Post, South Post, Camp Kim, Camp Coiner, etc.) (as of December 2019). )
It costs a lot to purify the land that was used as a military base after liberation until recently and was contaminated with oil, heavy metals, and various harmful substances. Negotiations for the return of US military bases have reached a stalemate in the battle over responsibility for the contamination, and complicated procedures are being repeated.
Issues and Implications
in Korea
The cost of cleaning up the four US military bases in Bupyeong, Wonju, and Dongducheon that were returned is a government estimate of 114 billion won.
In the case of the Bupyeong US military base, there is no domestic standard for soil purification for carcinogen dioxin, so there are legal difficulties in using the world's only exclusive patented technology.
As in the case of the camp page returned in 2007, there are cases where additional contaminants are discovered during the recent cultural heritage excavation or park development process after the purification work has already been completed.
