Chinese Government Reportedly Bought Land Near Future U.S. Embassy in Seoul

Well at least the ROK and the U.S. will know where the Chinese spies will be working out of:

The Chinese government owns 11 plots of land in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, which sit between 1 and 1.5 kilometers from the proposed future site of the US Embassy and South Korea’s current presidential office, according to a local media report Wednesday.

Asia Business Daily reported that the People’s Republic of China acquired ownership of the land spanning 4,100 square meters in December 2018 for about 29.9 billion won ($21.9 million). It marked the first time that a foreign government’s direct land purchase in the Yongsan area was disclosed to the public.

The properties are at the southern foot of Namsan, just before entering Namsan Tunnels No. 2 and 3 from Noksapyeong-daero in Itaewon-dong. The site previously operated as an outdoor golf driving range for more than 40 years but shut down around the time the land changed hands. Several buildings on the site remain unoccupied.

The Itaewon-dong location sits approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometers from the current presidential office in Samgakji, current presidential residence in Hannam-dong, and the former Camp Coiner site — the designated location for the new US Embassy — all in the district of Yongsan-gu.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but according to the article the Chinese government is responsible for 64.9% of foreign real estate transactions in South Korea.