Pocheon Councilor Challenges Land Swap With Defense Ministry

A city councilor in Pocheon, a city in Gyeonggi Province north of Seoul, has demanded a halt to a land swap with the Ministry of National Defense, warning it could entrench a military presence on the site of the former 6th Corps. Councilor Yoon Kyung-rye raised the issue during the city council's audit session.

A Swap That May Lock in the Military

The city plans to exchange city-owned land inside the former 6th Corps site with the ministry. Yoon noted that Pocheon had earlier sent an official notice demanding the return of about 80,000 pyeong (roughly 264,000 square meters) of city land by December 31, 2025, and had said it would not extend the usage period and would charge a penalty for late return. She asked why the city is now willing to hand over ownership.

Yoon said supporting documents indicate the ministry can keep using existing military facilities and secure stable stationing conditions through the swap. The land to be exchanged covers 67,680 square meters (about 20,000 pyeong) now used by the 5th Support Brigade. Once swapped, she said, the city could no longer demand its return on ownership grounds, and the development area could become an isolated island divided by a military wall. She added that a swap alone does not confirm permanent stationing, but handing over land without a withdrawal schedule or conditions leaves that risk open.

She also questioned the exchange difference the city highlights. It is about 3.1 billion won under appraisal value and about 7.9 billion won under the official land price. Yoon said changing the valuation method added only about 4.8 billion won, so the full 7.9 billion is not new gain. She urged the city to seek full withdrawal from the roughly 270,000 pyeong site, long-term free use of state-owned land, and national financial support, and to disclose the swap's purpose, process, and impact on development.

Why It Matters

The debate shows how a local government weighs a short-term financial figure against long-term control of public land that has hosted the military for decades. Yoon's four demands may set the terms for how Pocheon negotiates the site's future.

Read the original article in Korean: K trendy NEWS