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The US Army Corps of Engineers’ Far East District compound in Seoul’s Jung District. (Yonhap News)

The US has agreed to return 12 American military sites in the country to South Korea, including two athletic facilities in the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul. The two sides have decided to continue deliberations about cleaning up environmental pollution on the bases, which has long been a bone of contention.

On Dec. 11, the South Korean government announced that an agreement was reached during a virtual meeting of the 201st US-ROK Joint Committee of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Under the agreement, South Korea will regain control of two sections of the Yongsan Garrison and 11 other American bases located in Seoul; parts of Gyeonggi Province; Nam (South) District, Daegu; Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province; and Taebaek, Gangwon Province.

The sections of the Yongsan Garrison that will be returned only represent a small portion of the entire garrison (53,418 out of 2,030,000 square meters). Even so, this is the first time the US military has relinquished any of the garrison.

The land in the 12 sites that will be returned to Seoul covers a total area of 1,453,549 square meters.

The South Korean government delayed assigning responsibility for cleaning up pollution on the bases and finding ways to strengthen environmental management on bases currently in use by US Forces Korea (USFK) until future deliberations, just as it did last year.

South Korea and the US also agreed to keep discussing the possibility of revising documents related to SOFA. The two sides said they’ll also discuss setting pollution management standards, creating procedures for joint pollution investigations, and improving procedures for reporting environmental accidents and carrying out joint investigations.

“The government has failed to get any concessions from the Americans in regard to covering the cost of [cleaning up] pollution, improving environmental management and revising SOFA. The government is trying to pull a fast one on the public by using continuing deliberations as an excuse for not holding the Americans accountable for their pollution until after they’ve already handed over the bases,” environmental group Green Korea said in a statement released on Dec. 11.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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