Yoon unveils plan to release military zones for development

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday the government will release a large area of military-protected land to the public to enable the construction of essential facilities and promote regional economic development.

Yoon unveiled the plan during a government-public debate on livelihood issues, which was the 15th in a series and held on a military airfield in Seosan, 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

Under the plan, Yoon said 103 million “pyeong” of military facility protection zones — equivalent to 339 square kilometers — will be released, including 141 square km of land surrounding the airfield.

“After actively considering the demand of residents, we decided to release the military facility protection zones within a scope that does not disrupt national security,” Yoon said, noting 8.2 percent of the nation’s land currently falls under such zones, making it difficult to construct schools and other essential facilities.

He said military facility protection zones were first introduced in the 1970s but that conditions have changed greatly since then, with rapid urbanization across the country and technological advancements bringing large changes to the structure of the military and security.

Yoon especially touted the benefits the decision will bring to South Chungcheong Province, where Seosan is located, noting the province has fostered some of the nation’s leading industries, such as autos and display panels, while the city plans to build a civilian airport.

“With the lifting of military facility protection zones, South Chungcheong Province will secure the space and conditions needed to become the economic center of the Yellow Sea Rim,” he said, adding the government will designate a free economic zone in the province to help create synergies between foreign advanced technology firms and local firms.

“The government will provide sure support so that South Chungcheong becomes a cutting-edge industrial base rivaling Silicon Valley,” he said.

Yoon also outlined plans to develop specific areas of the province, saying the government will transform the national advanced industry complexes in Cheonan and Hongseong into industrial complexes specializing in future mobility means, and create a defense industry cluster in Nonsan by using its existing defense-related infrastructure, such as the headquarters of the three military branches and the National Defense University.

In Dangjin, he said the government will create a business innovation park that will host 35 mobility companies dealing in services ranging from auto parts to car maintenance, and with expected economic benefits worth 9.6 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) and the potential to create 32,000 jobs.

Yoon has pushed for bold deregulation across the economy, including in housing, financial markets and the use of industrial complexes, to correct what he perceives as market distortions and to promote fair competition.

Last week, he announced plans to drastically relax “greenbelt” zones, or land protected from development to preserve the environment, and deregulate the use of farmland.

The main opposition Democratic Party has accused Yoon of rolling out a series of pork-barrel policies and pledges to woo voters ahead of April’s general elections.

Later Monday, Yoon visited a traditional market in Seosan, in line with his recent push to delve deeper into people’s everyday lives and listen to their needs, his office said.