Gyeonggi completes construction for turning the old Camp Greaves into security experience facilities on October 15

◇ On July 27, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo looked around the facilities in Camp Greaves with Second Division Commander Thomas Bendel, First Infantry Division commander Hah Chang-ho, and Paju mayor Lee In-jae. ⓒ Gyeonggi G News Yoo Je-hoon

Gyeonggi Province is devoting all its energy to developing the program to gentrify Camp Greaves, an old base for the U.S. army, into national security experience facilities.

The province announced on September 23 that the security experience facilities, which are built by remodeling the old lodgings for the U.S. commissioned officers at the old Camp Greaves in the Civilian Control Line located in Gunnae-myeon, Paju, will be completed on October 15. 

Accordingly, the province held the first Security Experience Facilities Steering Committee meeting in the northern office meeting room on September 16 to establish premium security experience programs, with experts in various fields attending.

Camp Greaves security experience programs (plan) consisted of two programs: a two-day program and a three-day program. Major contents include: admission ceremony; army life experiences such as learning military songs, close-order drill, and hand grenade throwing contest;  Korea-U.S. first-line division’s security education; military song contest; battle equipment experiences such as boarding a tank and shooting simulation experience; field trip to Dora Observatory, Third Tunnel of Aggression, and Dorasan Station; and walking along the ecological trail and riding bikes along Imjingang River. The programs will be further improved for teenagers.

The experts who participated in program consulting said, “There will be no trouble in operating the programs, as they are differentiated and novel compared to those of other regions,” emphasizing, “But each program must be given significance in order to be maintained consistently and stably. The programs must also be certified by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and secure safety of participants, high-quality foods, and kind service of education institutions.”

Furthermore, in the steering committee meeting of the day, the members deliberated and voted on the operational regulations and bylaws of security experience facilities created by Gyeonggi Province, First Infantry Division, Paju, and Gyeonggi Tourism Organization in order to preserve the historical and cultural values of the old Camp Greaves and expand patriotism.

The province plans to invite public participation for the title of the facilities through ways including online and determine the title for the facilities in October, and then promote signboard-hanging and unveiling ceremony, and start the programs full-scale starting November.

The facilities are built by remodeling the fourth floor of the old Camp Greaves lodgings for the U.S. commissioned officers. The first floor plans to be used as offices, broadcasting room and warehouse; and the second and third floors as lodgings with 12 rooms on each floor (accommodating total 240 persons, with 10 persons for each room). The fourth floor will be used as an auditorium and restaurant that can accommodate over 200 people.

Camp Greaves is located two kilometers away from the DMZ next to Imjingang River on the other side of the Unification Bridge toward the north. The U.S. army has stayed there since July 1953 and returned the base to Korea in 2007. It is famous for the combat forces from the movie Joint Security Area.

ⓒGyeonggi G News | Park Gwan-sik malbut@kg21.net 

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201309231500117055C049&s_code=C049