Gunwi-gun Designated as Official Site for Relocation of Military Units in Downtown Daegu
The candidate site for the relocation of military units in downtown Daegu has been officially designated as Gunwi-gun. Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo announced this decision during a press conference held at City Hall’s Dong-in Building on the 10th. Stating that the relocation of military units directly affects national security, Mayor Hong emphasized that requests from cities and counties in the Gyeongbuk region will no longer be accepted.
Mayor Hong has consistently expressed his concerns about the opposition from Uiseong-gun towards the relocation of the military base near the Daegu Gyeongbuk New Airport cargo terminal. As a result, he firmly believes that the only viable option is to relocate the base to an area under Daegu City’s control, considering national security as the top priority.
During the press conference, Mayor Hong stated, “After the Uiseong-gun issue, I realized that it could have a greater impact on national security than the airport itself.” He further explained that Daegu City will make its own decision regarding the relocation in consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refusing to accept any applications for relocation.
Currently, four local governments in North Gyeongsang Province, including Chilgok, Yeongcheon, Sangju, and Uiseong, along with Gunwi County in Daegu, have expressed their interest in hosting the military unit. However, Mayor Hong clarified that no official requests have been received as of yet.
Relocation Targets
The relocation plan primarily includes four ROK military units: the 2nd Army Operations Command, 5th Logistics Support Command, 50th Division, and the Air Force Air Defense Artillery School. Additionally, three US military units, namely Camp Walker, Henry, and George, are also part of the relocation plan.
The city aims to facilitate the integrated relocation of Armed Forces units through donations and leases. This endeavor will result in the creation of a ‘military town complex’ in the relocated area, which will encompass essential amenities such as general hospitals, shopping centers, cultural hubs, and sports facilities. This development is expected to transform the area into a small city with a population of 20,000 to 30,000 residents.
Given the significance of the relocation, the city intends to thoroughly evaluate Gunwi-gun as a potential relocation site. Factors such as military operational performance, topography, geographical advantages, and urban development potential will be considered in the decision-making process.
The city plans to finalize a memorandum of agreement on the donation and lease of the New TK Airport, as well as a memorandum of understanding regarding the relocation of military units, with the newly appointed Minister of National Defense, Shin Won-sik. The content of these agreements has already been drafted, and Minister Shin’s prior explanations on the relocation during his tenure as the ruling party’s secretary of the National Defense Committee indicate a high chance of successful coordination between the city and the Ministry of National Defense.
Youngdae Yoon, Special Advisor for the Relocation of Daegu City Military Facilities, emphasized the importance of aligning the interests of Daegu City and the Ministry of National Defense. Skipping the consultation process with other local governments could expedite the relocation process and minimize potential obstacles in site selection.
Mayor Hong Joon-pyo “Do not accept sites for military bases… We will choose controllable areas.”
In fact, it was formalized as Gunwigun … Review of operational and geographical advantages in each region of Gunwigunshire
The entrance to the 2nd Operational Command Area in Manchon-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu. Maeil DB Newspaper
The candidate site for the relocation of military units in downtown Daegu has been officially designated as Gunwi-gun.
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said at a press conference held at City Hall’s Dong-in Building on the 10th, “Given that the relocation of military units is directly related to national security, we will stop accepting requests by cities and counties in the Gyeongbuk region.”
Mayor Hong has stated several times that due to the strong opposition from Uiseong-gun around the Daegu Gyeongbuk New Airport cargo terminal, the relocation of the military base in downtown Daegu “has no choice but to consider relocation to an area that is Daegu City . can control.”
Mayor Hong said on this day, “After experiencing the Uiseong gun problem, I thought it might have an impact on national security issues more than the airport,” and explained, “Daegu City will not accept applications for relocation and will make his own decision in consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” .
Currently, four local governments, including Chilgok, Yeongcheon, Sangju, and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, as well as Gunwi County in Daegu, have announced their intention to host the military unit in downtown Daegu. Mayor Hong drew the line, saying, “We have not officially received the request.”
The targets for the relocation of urban military units are four ROK military units, including the 2nd Army Operations Command, 5th Logistics Support Command, 50th Division, and the Air Force Air Defense Artillery School, and three US military units, including Camp Walker, Henry, and George.
The city is pursuing the integrated relocation of Armed Forces units through donations and leases. In the area where the military base is being relocated, a ‘military town complex’ is expected to be created with general hospitals and welfare infrastructure such as shopping, culture and sports, creating a small city with a population of 20,000 to 30,000.
Accordingly, the city intends to look at the entire Gunwi-gun as a relocation target and revisit the candidate site from the starting point.
Initially, the candidate site for the relocation of the urban military unit proposed by the Gunwi Army was Dalsan and Nachori area in Ubo-myeon, but the plan is to review different candidate sites based on military operational performance, topographical and geographical factors, and urban development. potential.
As the new Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik takes office, the city plans to finalize a memorandum of agreement on the donation and lease of the New TK Airport and a memorandum of understanding on the relocation of military units as soon as possible.
Currently, the specific text of the memorandum of agreement and the memorandum of understanding have been finalized, and Minister Shin explained the contents of the relocation several times while he was the ruling party’s secretary of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, so the city’s position is that there will be no major problems in coordinating the schedule.
Youngdae Yoon, Special Advisor for the Relocation of Daegu City Military Facilities, said, “Efforts will be needed to align the minds of Daegu City and the Ministry of National Defense, but if the consultation process with other local governments is skipped, there will be variables in the relocation that will site selection process will be reduced and there will be an advantage in speeding up the relocation work.” .
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