The U.S. Military Plans to Build Apt. Complex in Yongsan

The U.S. armed forces in Korea (USAFK) plan to construct a huge apartment complex in Yongsan military base from which the USAFK promised to move out. Thus it is creating a stir. Especially, there is a suspicion that the USAFK do not want to return the Yongsan base because it will build the apartments with the semi-permanent structure of steel-reinforced concrete.

Moreover, it is likely to be developed as a diplomatic issue between Korea and America because the USAFK have promoted this project exclusively in disregard of an article of the ROK-US Agreement on Status of Force in Korea (SOFA), "In case of the construction or reconstruction of a facility in the U.S. bases in Korea, the USAFK must inform and consult with Korean government."

According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) on Thursday, the Far East District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (FED) received construction proposals from 6 domestic construction companies, such as LG Engineering & Construction Corporation, Samsung Corporation Engineering & Construction Group, Dongbu Corporation, Doosan Constrution & Engineering, Pumyang Corporation, and Yojin Construction & Engineering, in order to build an apartment complex for the officers` family at Yongsan base (South Post), which is across the Capital Hotel, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul, on Nov. 26th. After reviewing the proposals, the FED will choose a contractor around next January and plans to start the construction from March 2002.

This project is the first part of the ten-stage `Residential Environment Improvement Project for the USAFK`s family,` which plans to construct 20 of eight-story building for 1066 households after destroying a present residential complex for officers (45,000 pyung). The first part of the plan is to build an apartment complex for 96 families (64 units of three-bedroom 43 pyung, 30 units of four-bedroom 47 pyung, and 2 units of five-bedroom 53 pyung), by 2004.

The materials and methods of the construction are required to meet American standard in order to secure the safety in case of a bomb terror. Therefore, the construction cost will amount about 8-9 million won per pyung.

The present average construction cost of an apartment is about 3 million won per pyung. Thus, regarding the high cost of the planned apartments construction, some people analyzed that the USAFK do not want to leave the Yongsan base.

Jin Chul-Hoon, the Director of City Planning of SMG, pointed out that, "The USAFK`s plan to build an apartment complex with steel-reinforced concrete structure, after promising to leave, suggests that the USAFK will not give up the Yongsan base."

The construction project also violates a regulation of the SOFA, which was newly agreed in the beginning of 2001.

An official of the MND said, "The Ministry was not yet informed about the construction of the apartments from the USAFK. The land of the present residential complex for officers belongs to the Ministry, and the USAFK have only the right to lease. If the USAFK want to drive its plan by ignoring a regulation of the SOFA, the Ministry will make an official protest at a branch committee of the SOFA, which is planned on 13th."

jinhup@donga.com