Yongsan Garrison - History

History

Yongsan Garrison was originally created as an Imperial Japanese Army garrison in the early decades of the 20th century on land that had traditionally been the site of military facilities under former Korean kingdoms. During those times, the Korean and Japanese garrisons were on the outskirts of the city in mostly undeveloped land. Since then, the city of Seoul has enveloped the Garrison. Several buildings built by the Japanese army and located within Yongsan Garrison are still utilized by U.S. forces, most notably the Eighth Army headquarters building. Many of older, dark-colored brick buildings on the base are former Japanese Army buildings. Located directly across from Eighth Army headquarters is the Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea headquarters, a structure built in the early 1970s. The building is home to the Commanding General, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea.

The War Memorial of Korea directly abuts the garrison, before the construction of this museum, the land was part of the Korean military command and was only slightly separated from the U.S. Army facility, both having been part of the original Japanese Garrison.

According to Stars and Stripes,the South Korean government and U.S. military officials had agreed to relocate Yongsan Garrison 55 miles (89 km) south, to Camp Humphreys near the metropolitan city of Pyeongtaek beginning in either 2012 or 2013. Due to a number of factors, including a lack of enthusiasm for the move from the newly-elected Lee Myung-Bak administration, this process has now been pushed back to 2019. South Korea had traditionally regarded this garrison as insurance against the U.S. Army abandoning Seoul, located only about 65 km from the DMZ. As part of this relocation and the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops near the DMZ, all American troops will be pulled back from north of the Han River.

The Embassy of the United States in Seoul may build a new Chancery on part of the land planned to be vacated by the U.S. Army, most probably on Camp Coiner. Most of the U.S. Embassy officials live in an Embassy housing compound located in an area almost completely enveloped by Yongsan Garrison, and with direct access to it.

As part of his final visit to Asia, U.S. President George W. Bush spoke to both U.S. and R.O.K. military personnel, their families, and civilian employees at Yongsan Garrison's Collier Field House, 6 August 2008. During his speech to the troops, Bush said,"Fifty-five years have passed since the guns went quiet and the cease-fire was signed on this peninsula, and since that time our forces have kept the peace. Our nations have built a robust alliance.” He also said that America would keep its military presence on the Korean peninsula, while returning some bases to South Korean control.

As part of her first official trip overseas as Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton visited senior U.S. and Korean military leaders at the Combined Forces Command headquarters at Yongsan Garrison on 20 February 2009.

Note: some 297,000 square meters (77 acres) of land, including a golf course, was given back to the City of Seoul in November 1992 to become Yongsan Family Park and the site of the recently opened National Museum. The opening of the completed National Museum was delayed several years while the fate of a U.S. Army helicopter landing facility (H-208) was decided (its approach path and landing pads were directly in front of the museum). The single family suburban style housing areas, with yards and tree lined streets, plus the small wooded areas throughout the Garrison stand in stark contrast to the highly urbanized areas surrounding the facility.

• Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital, Yongsan Garrison, March 2009

• Seoul American High School Graduation Ceremony, Yongsan Garrison, June 2008

• Seoul Tower as seen from Yongsan Garrison, view to north, June 2007

• 8th Army Good Neighbor Program youth soccer team, Yongsan Garrison. Lloyd L. Burke Towers housing area seen in the background, April 2008

• Seoul American Middle School class picture, Yongsan Garrison. 1 October 2008.

• R.O.K. military drill team performs during the Fall Festival Parade, Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, Korea. 11 October 2008.