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The Dragon Hill Hotel, located in the Yongsan military base. The hotel may be closed or relocated following the CFC’s move to the MND complex. (by Kim Tae-hyung, staff photographer)
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The famous Yongsan hotel had previously been slated to remain open under a 2014 agreement
The South Korean government confirmed on Apr. 9 that it is considering relocating or closing down the Dragon Hill Lodge hotel after a previous decision to have the hotel remain in place even after the Yongsan Garrison’s relocation to Pyeongtaek. The news indicated a change in course toward a full return of the site after Seoul previously claimed all agreements on Dragon Hill Lodge and other residual facilities to be “complete.” “Recently, there have been orders from the Blue House to consider relocating and closing down Dragon Hill Lodge,” a senior official from the Ministry of National Defense told the Hankyoreh in a telephone interview that day. “Discussions are currently taking place on where Dragon Hill Lodge will be relocated,” the official added. At the 46th South Korea-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) during the Park Geun-hye administration in Oct. 2014, the two sides decided to leave a portion of the Combined Forces Command, Dragon Hill Lodge, entrance and protection sites, and heliport facilities in place after Yongsan Garrison is relocated to Pyeongtaek. The situation changed in Jan. 2018, however, with a decision to have the Combined Forces Command (CFC) leave Yongsan Garrison for a site within the Ministry of National Defense complex. “With the CFC leaving, that essentially obviated the need for Dragon Hill Lodge to remain as an amenity for US troops,” a military official said. By Choi Min-young, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
