Beware, Urban Sprawl Coming to Pyeongtaek
If the South Korean government has it’s way; the urban sprawl that USFK is trying to escape from by relocating units from 2ID and Yongsan, will be coming to Pyeongtaek soon as well:
The government said yesterday it will invest more than 18.8 trillion won ($18.1 billion) by 2020 to develop Pyeongtaek, southern Gyeonggi province, where the U.S. Forces Korea will build a consolidated base by 2008.
The Home Affairs Ministry said the money is to help increase the population of Pyeongtaek to 800,000, from the current 360,000.
The ministry said nearly 1.5 trillion won will be spent to improve farms, build industrial complexes and develop tourist facilities near Pyeongtaek Lake.
The Defense Ministry also said it will invest nearly 1.4 trillion won on roads, parks and noise-proof facilities for residents. The ministry will also construct housing for relocated residents.
More than 16 trillion won will be invested to develop harbors in the region along with other industrial development projects.
Nomad has more on this topic, but I can’t help but think why the Korean government feels this need to surround the USFK base with urban sprawl. This same urban sprawl that currently plagues US bases will only continue to lead to traffic accidents and problems.
