Plans announced in 2014 have yet to move forward amid repeated delays and soil cleanup setbacks, leaving residents unable to exercise property rights and a completion date still nowhere in sight.

The site designated for the Ojong military base urban development project in Bucheon. [Captured from Hello TV News]
The site designated for the Ojong military base urban development project in Bucheon. [Captured from Hello TV News]

An urban redevelopment project tied to the Ojong military base in Bucheon has been stalled for 12 years since plans were first announced in 2014.

When the development plan was unveiled, the relocation of the military base and subsequent development of the site were expected to serve as a catalyst for regional growth. Instead, the project has gone through repeated schedule changes.

A prolonged soil decontamination process has cast further doubt on when the overall project can realistically be completed.

The burden of those delays has fallen squarely on local residents. People living in the designated development area have long faced restrictions on exercising their property rights, with no firm confirmation of whether the project will proceed or when.

For residents who have waited in anticipation of development, the situation remains one in which they cannot even determine when construction might begin or end.

The issue has drawn fire again at the Bucheon City Council.

Bucheon City Council member Lim Suk-hee raised the matter at the first regular session of the 294th council meeting, calling for a clear explanation and an actionable plan from the city, noting that the Ojong military base urban development project has been delayed for 12 years since its 2014 announcement.

"The project has been delayed for 12 years, and residents have no idea how much longer they are expected to wait," Lim said. "We cannot keep forcing residents to endure this vague, open-ended uncertainty."

One of the biggest variables holding back the project is the soil decontamination work. The cleanup has taken far longer than anticipated, disrupting the overall development timeline.

Critics say more specific information is needed — including whether the scale of contamination has grown beyond initial estimates, whether additional remediation is required, and when the cleanup is expected to be finished.

Lim also urged the city to publicly disclose the current status of the soil decontamination work, whether additional contamination has been found, and how the cleanup timeline will affect the broader project schedule.

Bucheon City Council member Lim Suk-hee
Bucheon City Council member Lim Suk-hee

The problems extend beyond the simple fact that the project is running late.

The duration of a city fund established to support the base relocation and site development has been extended to 2031.

The move can be read as an acknowledgment that the project may drag on further, fueling concern among residents that the completion date will be pushed back yet again.

Since the development plan was announced, residents have had to contend with uncertainty over the sale, investment and development of their land and buildings while waiting for the project to advance.

The longer the administrative delays continue, the greater the risk that residents' economic and lifestyle losses will compound.

For that reason, critics say a general assurance that the city intends to proceed with the project is no longer enough to ease residents' anxiety.

There are growing calls for Bucheon to release a concrete timeline — covering how far the project has progressed, when soil decontamination will be finished, and when ground-breaking and completion are expected — along with a realistic plan that accounts for the possibility of further unforeseen setbacks.

"The city must clearly explain to residents when the project will be completed, when soil decontamination will be finished, and why the fund's duration was extended," Lim said. "Practical measures to protect and compensate residents for their property rights losses must also be put in place."

Whether Bucheon will this time offer a specific schedule and workable solutions for the Ojong military base redevelopment project, which has been adrift for 12 years, remains to be seen.


gilbert@heraldcorp.com