Controversy Over Expansion of Namsuwon Golf Practice Range

Conflict has emerged between the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association and a nearby temple over the expansion of a golf practice range owned by the association.

According to Hwaseong City on the 24th, the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association, which operates the Namsuwon Physical Training Facility—a golf course owned by the Ministry of Defense—in the Songsan-dong area, began a 3.8 billion won expansion project at the golf practice range in mid-November of last year.

The expansion project, targeting completion by the end of this month, will increase the existing practice bays from 7 to 44 and raise 15 steel structures from a height of 37 meters to 45 meters, with 19 new structures being installed. The project is currently 90 percent complete.

The golf practice range is located on approximately 7,000 pyeong of land owned by the Ministry of Defense and is being managed under trust by the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association.

However, the nearby Yongjusa Temple has objected, stating that "the golf practice range is located within approximately 300 meters of Yongjusa's Buddhist bell (National Treasure No. 120), and the raising of the steel structures to over 40 meters in height is damaging the natural scenery."

Accordingly, Yongjusa Temple requested on the 19th that the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association halt construction and restore the facilities to their original state.

Venerable Deok-bon of Yongjusa Temple argued that "there is concern about damage to Yongjusa's Buddhist bell, one of the bells designated as a National Treasure, and the unsightly steel structures are visible even from Byeongjeom Station, which is 4 kilometers away, greatly damaging the natural scenery."

In response, the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association stated: "After consulting with the Ministry of Defense, we have decided to lower the steel structures to 35 meters in height and notified the temple on the 23rd. The proceeds from the golf practice range are used to support scholarships for military personnel, and we asked for their cooperation."

An official with the Military Officers' Mutual Aid Association said: "While a one-month delay in construction due to design changes will inevitably result in business losses, we will complete the project through consultation with the temple within the scope of minimizing concerns about damage to cultural heritage."

However, approximately 300 devotees of Yongjusa Temple, claiming that no satisfactory measures have been presented for halting construction, held a protest in front of the golf practice range on the 24th and decided to formally raise the issue with the Ministry of Defense and others through the Jogye Order, their religious denomination.