Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) said on the 3rd that the transfer of the "Alpha Ammunition Depot" within the Pyeongtaek Godeok internationalization planning district has been completed.
The Alpha Ammunition Depot has been occupied by U.S. Forces Korea since the mid-1950s, and 1.33 million square meters around it had been designated as a military protection facility. The site, initially slated for return in 2008, faced multiple delays in return due to being tied to the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base transfer plan and delays in constructing a replacement ammunition depot. However, under a 2023 South Korea–U.S. memorandum of understanding (SOFA), a temporary transfer to a nearby ammunition depot was agreed.
Aiming for a swift and safe transfer, the ammunition depot transfer proceeded for a total of 39 days from Dec. 30 last year to on the 19th of last month under the cooperation and support of related agencies including the Ministry of National Defense, U.S. Forces Korea, the Air Operations Command, Pyeongtaek City, Pyeongtaek Police Station, and LH, and it was completed without any safety accidents.
With the ammunition at the Alpha Ammunition Depot completely cleared out, making it possible to break ground on about 15,000 multifamily dwellings planned around the depot, LH plans to speed up follow-up procedures to expand public sale housing supply in the greater Seoul area.
To push forward with dwelling construction starts, LH will work within the year with the Ministry of National Defense and others to lift the military facility protection zone and will promptly advance living infrastructure such as roads and schools to help improve residential conditions in Godeok New Town.
In addition, once the procedure to return the provided area is completed, LH plans to purchase the ammunition depot site from the Ministry of National Defense and create a historical and cultural park that preserves some of the existing military facilities.
An LH official said, "As the ammunition depot transfer was wrapped up swiftly and safely without any safety accidents through smooth cooperation among related agencies, we will push follow-up procedures without delay to complete Pyeongtaek Godeok New Town and expand housing supply in the greater Seoul area."