Page 273 - 2018 Defense White Paper
P. 273

|  Systematic Removal of Unused and Abandoned Facilities  |    To minimize inconveniences

               for the people and ensure shared growth with local residents through military installation
               projects, the MND is currently pursuing the removal or improvement of unused military
               installations across the country.

                 While the ROK Armed Forces has been removing unused or abandoned facilities, there still
               exist facilities that fell to disuse because of advancements in scientif ic surveillance equipment
               and the reduction of military troops, or facilities for which the usage plans were abolished

               because of the disbandment or reduction of the relevant units. The abandoned facilities are
               not mere aesthetic nuisances; they pose risks of collapse, pollution from wastes therein, and
               interference with local development.

                 The MND conducted on-site inspections and operability assessments on all unused facilities
               in and outside military premises in 2018 for the systematic removal of the facilities. Based on
               the f indings, by 2021, the MND plans to remove facilities that interfere with local development
               plans, long-abandoned facilities that damage the scenery, or facilities that pose risks of being

               turned into crime zones under medium- and long-term plans.



               |  Resolution of Private and Public Lands Occupied without Permission  |    The ROK Armed
               Forces inevitably occupied some private and public lands during the war and for emergency
               operations, thereby violating the rights of the property owners. In addition, the damages have
               not been properly compensated for. In recognition of the seriousness of the issue, to protect the
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               people’s property rights and improve the people’s trust toward the military, the MND has been
               addressing the issue of the illegal occupation of private and public lands.
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                 As of the end of 2017, out of the total private and public lands of 55,400,000 m , occupied
               and used by the ROK Armed Forces, 25,720,000 m  is being occupied unlawfully. The MND
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               purchases the lands that the ROK Armed Forces still needs, leases the lands required for
               temporary use, and returns the lands not used because of the relocation of the relevant units

               after restitution, which includes removing facilities and eliminating soil contamination.
                 On another note, the MND measured the private and public lands occupied unlawfully between
               February and November 2018. It will use the f indings to notify owners of the occupation, and

               provide compensation and restitution in accordance with due process. Going forward, the MND will
               continue to purchase, lease, and exchange lands to address the issue of unlawful occupation early on.






             Section 5  Ensuring Fair Enforcement of the Duty of Military Service and Enhancing the Benefits for the People     271
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