Army Base Relocation Dispute Deepens

With only two days before Chuseok, Paengseong County, Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, which has been experiencing violent demonstrations concerning the relocation of the U.S. army bases, held a Residents Harmony Feast at the Western Multipurpose Hall.

However, the feast was held outside of the site reserved for the base, and the Local Countermeasures Committee which is opposing the move did not attend, making it a party which only half the members attended.

On this day’s event, around 100 people were present, such as 10 locals opposing the move, 70 locals from Daechu-ri, Dodu-ri, Yoo Jong-sang deputy secretary of planning at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Park Gyeong-seo head of U.S. army base relocation project at the Ministry of National Defense, mayor of Pyeongtaek Song Myeong-ho, and lasted for two hours.

This was the first event that took place since talks between the government and Pyeongtaek National Countermeasures Committee for the Obstruction of U.S. Army Base Expansion was discontinued in June of this year. It took six talks with the opposing locals to prepare this event.

Park Jong-myeong (66. Dodu2-ri), representative of locals, said, “There have been many conflicts between the people who left the town and those who remain, but we are all victims. From now on, we wish the government would confer with the locals to promote a project that will not bring about disunion.”

Yu also said, “I wish today’s event will become a place where the locals and government can forget about the hostilities created in the process of promoting the relocation project, and make harmony with each other.”

However the event did not go smoothly, with the leaders of the Local Countermeasures Committee absent, and some opposing locals shouting, “Stop this deceptive event,” near the end.

Head of the Cooperative Enforcement of Pyeongtaek National Countermeasures Committee, Park Rae-gun (45), claimed, “How can it become a Residents Harmony Feast, just because some opposing locals are present. The government’s attitude is very sneaky. On the outside, it asks to hold talks, but behind everyone’s back, it uses conciliatory measures, and holds parties to show to the media.”

Business Director of Paengseong Locals Countermeasures Committee Kim Taek-gyun (42) said, “With village head of Daechu-ri Kim Ji-tae in confinement, and the locals holding a candle ceremony everyday to defend their homeland, this sort of event will only bring new confrontation and conflict.”

The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced, with 40 more locals of Daechu-ri, and Dodu-ri agreeing to move out, 50 out of 92 families opposing the forced removal remain in the U.S. army relocation site.

Last month the government demolished 90 empty houses, and soon it will complete the master plans for the formation of the relocation base, and commence work on the foundation such as trial digging of cultural assets and construction of drainage facilities. Development of the site will start as of next April.

bibulus@donga.com