President Lee Jae-myung directed the Ministry of National Defense on the 1st to "proactively review and report on the handling of U.S. returnable sites in the northern Gyeonggi region."
Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said during a briefing at the Seoul Yongsan office that she conveyed the comments made during the 28th Cabinet meeting, which were not made public.
Since the armistice agreement of the Korean War in 1953, numerous U.S. military bases have been established in northern Gyeonggi for the purposes of South Korea-U.S. security cooperation. According to the 'Status of U.S. military returnable sites and bases as of April 2025' announced by Gyeonggi Province, 51 of the 54 returnable sites (54.31 million pyeong) nationwide are concentrated in Gyeonggi Province, accounting for 96%, covering 211 square kilometers (63.7 million pyeong). Of these, 168 square kilometers (50.67 million pyeong) are located in northern Gyeonggi.
In the political arena, a special law on support for areas surrounding U.S. military sites, known as the 'Special Law on Support for U.S. Military Returnable Sites' (hereafter referred to as the Special Law on Returnable Sites), was enacted in 2006 to promote the development of returned bases. The Special Law on Returnable Sites provides various benefits, including government support for part of the acquisition cost of military bases and allowing the transfer of factories and universities. However, due to issues with financial support, development projects for returnable sites have not been properly executed, and most remain vacant land.
Meanwhile, President Lee inspected the status of ambulance management and compliance with his directive to the Ministry of Interior and Safety to ensure thorough management of drainage and drainage systems in preparation for the rainy season. He emphasized, "No disasters should occur due to inadequate management."
President Lee inquired about the implementation status of his directive to establish a forest fire prevention system directed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and after that, he requested, "Cooperate with the Ministry of National Defense to create a system where helicopters from the Ministry of National Defense can be mobilized for firefighting in case of a forest fire."
He also asked the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries about the state of inland water management and local government fisheries research, stating, "Support measures suitable for the era of 10 million fishing enthusiasts are necessary." Additionally, he directed them to identify realistic measures and scales that Korea can contribute to the global marine debris removal project, as reported by Spokesperson Kang.
Lee Joo-ho, acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education, participated in the last Cabinet meeting as acting Prime Minister and remarked, "The president's active communication with the Cabinet members appointed during the previous administration was impressive," and expressed that "continuity of policy is essential." Some attendees who were not Cabinet members also freely shared their thoughts on departmental issues, according to Spokesperson Kang.