Gyeonggi Province Invests 3.2 Billion Won in Areas Around Military Bases...Laying Foundation for Civil-Military Cooperation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province is implementing the "2020 Support Project for Areas Around Military Bases" targeting six cities and counties in the province including Gimpo and Paju this year, investing a total of 3.2 billion won to resolve inconveniences experienced by provincial residents due to military base deployment and to lay the groundwork for civil-military cooperation.

The province is home to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and approximately 600 military bases, with 42.75% of the northern Gyeonggi area designated as military facility protection zones. In particular, residents in surrounding areas have suffered from noise and traffic congestion due to base deployment and military training, while also facing restrictions on regional development and other activities.
In response, Gyeonggi Province established the "Ordinance on Support and Cooperation for Military Base-Stationed Areas and Residents in Border Regions" in 2017 to provide institutional grounds for residents in military base areas who have endured special sacrifices for national security. The province has been implementing the "Support Project for Areas Around Military Bases" since 2018.

This year, through screening that considered feasibility, effectiveness, and civil-military conflict levels, the province selected 26 projects in six cities and counties—Gimpo, Paju, Pocheon, Yangpyeong, Dongducheon, and Yeoncheon—as support targets.
To this end, a total of 3.2 billion won will be invested to improve resident safety and convenience in areas that have fallen behind due to military facility deployment. This represents a 2.5-fold increase from 2018's budget of 1.3 billion won and a 1.6-fold increase from 2019's 2 billion won.

For ‘Gimpo’, 552 million won will be allocated to four projects including the safe forest path on Mount Gahyeon and village road maintenance in Yonggang-ri. For ‘Paju’, 1.096 billion won will be invested in seven projects including drainage system maintenance in Ungdam 1-ri and village road maintenance in Dongmun 1-ri.
‘Pocheon’ will receive 501 million won for seven projects including road improvements in Yeongok-ri and bridge repairs and reinforcement in Uncheon-ri. ‘Yangpyeong’ will receive 66 million won for two projects including LED sign installation around the shooting range.
‘Dongducheon’ will invest 560 million won in two projects including road maintenance in military base areas, and ‘Yeoncheon’ will spend 425 million won on four projects including reflector installation on dangerous road sections in the civilian control zone and expansion of safety facilities in Hwagok village.

In particular, with active cooperation from the military, the province this year plans to focus on resolving civil-military conflicts by relocating guard posts located within military base areas to ease residents' passage difficulties, constructing parking facilities for users of soccer fields opened to residents within military bases, and installing LED signs for advance notice of training exercises in areas that have been affected by shooting training.

A provincial official stated, "We will make further efforts to ensure that the Support Project for Areas Around Military Bases becomes a foundation for civil-military coexistence and enables structural transformation toward developed regions by resolving living inconveniences for residents in underdeveloped areas caused by military facilities."