Meets with deputy head of USFK base support unit under Office for Government Policy Coordination
Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan met with Baek Seung-il, deputy head of the USFK Base Support Unit under the Office for Government Policy Coordination, at Camp Howze on Wednesday to brief him on key issues and development progress at former USFK base sites in Paju.
Son said the areas had long been restricted from development due to their use for national security purposes, and called for practical government support that takes into account current local conditions and the specific nature of each project.
Camp Howze is currently undergoing a phased neighborhood park development project, but existing national funding is limited to land acquisition costs, making it urgent to secure additional financing for facility construction.
Paju city asked the government to expand the scope of national funding and to revise related regulations so that projects on returned base sites receive priority consideration in national grant programs, including development projects for special-circumstance regions.
Camp Gary Owen, which had been pursuing private-sector-led urban development, has been shifting toward public development focused on residential amenities after running into obstacles due to high land acquisition costs and a real estate market downturn. Paju city asked for government cooperation to allow its comprehensive development plan to be revised with greater flexibility.
The city also requested active support for amending the Special Act on Support for Areas Around USFK Base Sites to allow for a wider range of development methods — including long-term leasing — tailored to the conditions of each area.
"The returned base sites in Paju are places where local residents have long endured sacrifice for national security," Son said. "Now, practical government support is needed so these areas can be developed in ways suited to local conditions and transformed into spaces that citizens can truly benefit from."
Paju city said it plans to strengthen cooperation with the central government to promote the effective use and development of returned base sites, and will continue consultations with relevant ministries.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
