The End of Small-Town America, in the Heart of Seoul

[soryang]

The End of Small-Town America, in the Heart of Seoul
The oldest and most strategic U.S. base for deterring North Korea is moving out of the South’s capital

By Andrew Jeong

Sept. 3, 2019 5:30 am ET

After more than 60 years, the U.S. is closing a military base in Seoul that has kept the region safe from North Korean threats. WSJ explores the historic complex and meets the people who have called it home for years. Video: Clément Bürge. Image composite: Crystal Tai...

SEOUL—The U.S. military’s downtown Seoul home is an American oasis on its last legs. Rusted goal posts overlook a closed high school. The front lawns of identical ranch-style houses have turned brown. The narrow sidewalks, just wide enough for two people, have started to crack.

Article behind paywall but the (7 min) video is available for free at the link after a short commercial. The video is excellent with views of Yongsan and Camp Humphreys to which the affected units will move. Camp Humprheys is the largest US base outside the US.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-small-town-america-in-the-heart-of-seoul-11567503006?mod=e2tw

I know from recent news headlines that cleanup costs for serious residual environmental pollution at Yongsan and a number of empty US bases scheduled for transfer back to the ROK are not resolved.