Closure of Gwangju Pyungdong Artillery Shooting Range Gains Momentum...Will a 70-Year Issue Be Resolved?

Military to “Actively Review Closure”
Formal Report Planned to Ministry of National Defense

Residents Hope for Reduced Noise and Improved Safety

Urban Development Prospects Draw Attention

Park Kyuntaek: “Consistently Raised the Issue through Parliamentary Inspections”

The Pyungdong artillery shooting range in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, which has been operated for more than 70 years since the Korean War, is now at a turning point regarding its possible closure. As military authorities announced their intention to review the closure of the shooting range and formally report it to the Ministry of National Defense, attention is growing regarding the resolution of this long-standing local issue, which has shown little progress for years.

According to Assemblyman Park Kyuntaek of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangsan A in Gwangju) and others on July 20, Park recently discussed the closure of the Pyungdong artillery shooting range with officials from Army Headquarters and the Army 31st Infantry Division. At the meeting, the military expressed its position that “we will review the closure of the Pyungdong artillery shooting range and formally report it to the Ministry of National Defense,” and it has been reported that the Ministry of National Defense has begun preliminary procedures for the closure of the facility.

Fort shooting training. Photo by Yonhap News

The Pyungdong artillery shooting range is a military training facility owned by the Ministry of National Defense, located across the Pyungdong and Samdo-dong areas of Gwangsan-gu. It was requisitioned by the military in 1948 and used as an artillery and infantry shooting training ground throughout the Korean War. After the Sangmu Base in Gwangju was relocated to Jangseong, Jeollanam-do in 1994, most tank gun and attack helicopter shooting functions were transferred elsewhere, and currently, the facility is operated only for limited purposes such as mortar practice.

Over the years, local residents have consistently demanded the closure of the shooting range due to noise from the shooting, the dangers posed by stray or unexploded ordnance, and restrictions on urban development. The City of Gwangju has continued to request relocation and closure to the government and the Office of the President, and Assemblyman Park has also repeatedly called for the resolution of this issue through annual parliamentary inspections and other means.

Assemblyman Park stated, “Residents have had to endure the inconvenience of keeping their windows closed because of the noise from the firing range, and since the facility is used for barely about 20 days a year, there are ongoing concerns that it is blocking the city’s development.”

If the artillery shooting range is closed, there are plans to relocate or consolidate its current functions to other military training grounds, such as Sangmu Base in Jangseong. Measures for utilizing the site will be decided in future consultations between the Ministry of National Defense and relevant organizations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.