Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed the defense ministry to explore ways to utilize former military bases returned by the U.S. Forces Korea in northern Gyeonggi Province, the presidential office said. During a Cabinet meeting, Lee directed the ministry to proactively review options for repurposing the sites in the northern part of the province bordering North Korea, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

According to Yonhap News Agency, several U.S. military bases in the region, located just south of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, have been gradually relocated to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, approximately 70 kilometers south of Seoul. Gyeonggi Province has been seeking ways to revitalize the returned sites to support local economic development, but many of the sites remain idle under the ministry's ownership, largely due to their remote locations and limited commercial viability.

On the campaign trail, Lee pledged to designate the border region as a special economic zone for peace and expand government support for the development of returned U.S. military sites and the adjacent areas.