INTRODUCTION
In 2017, United States Forces Korea (USFK) will officially begin the process of returning
Yongsan Garrison back to Korean government. The history of Yongsan Garrison (YSG)
dates back to 1945 when the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division set up its Command on the
site of Japanese Imperial Army base. For the last 70 years, YSG represents the U.S. led
United Nations Command (UNC) presence in
Korea and the US-Korea alliance under
Combined Forces Command and USFK. THE FUTURE OF YSG
According to the current master plan, Korean government is planning to turn the Base
into one of the largest urban parks in Asia, only a few acres smaller than the Central Park
in New York City. In order to make room for trees and meadows, about 90% of the
buildings on the Base will be removed. And the remaining buildings will be renovated
into museums and recreational facilities. Hence, traces of USFK’s presence will be
reduced to leaflets and history books. REMEMBERING THE PEOPLE AND FAMILIES OF YSG
Official records and archived correspondence will help military historians write about
YSG’s leadership and its role in bringing peace to the region. But for YSG, that’s only half
of the story. For US servicemen and their families who served in Korea, YSG provided a
sense of safety and home away from home in a foreign country. The Base provided
homes to families, schools for children, and recreation venues for friends and guests. It
is estimated that about 2.5 million US servicemen and servicewomen passed through
YSG since 1945, not counting all the Korean military and civilian staff who served on the
Base too. For YSG, all the friendships, love stories, events, even everyday routines are
invaluable treasures. This social history of the Garrison’s occupants is on the verge of
being lost forever. Before all the families and friends move out of YSG completely, we
should capture their lives and experiences on the Base. Rather than waiting until the
buildings and homes are torn down, we should record the stories and memories at the
locations where they took place. These can be recorded and archived digitally for the
future generations and visitors alike. This digital database is the foundation for YongSan
Legacy project: a “digital monument” of YSG. WHAT IS YONGSAN LEGACY PROJECT? YongSan Legacy is an online platform and crowd-sourced project. Using all currently
available technologies, the stories and memories of Yongsan Garrison will be archived
and shared around the world. All entries will be location-specific making them both
metaphysical and situational at the same time. This digital monument will be also a
cultural monument; the culture of all those who served on YongSan Garrison will live on
and appreciated by generations to come. Narratives and sentiments of YSG will be
captured and shared freely from the perspectives of the people who lived on the Base. This digital monument will emphasize that the culture of YSG is a testament and history
of U.S. service in Korea over the last 70 years; furthermore, YSG represents UNC/USFK’s
presence in Korea, and US-Korea’s coexistence and mutual support that must be
remembered and cherished. YSG’S INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO YONGSAN
This project is called YongSan Legacy because the influence of the Garrison extends well
beyond the base boundaries. The very existence and identity of today’s Yong San is
intimately related to the culture of those who lived and worked on the Base. The food,
music and fashion are some of the many elements that made Yongsan the multi-cultural
center of Seoul and throughout Korea. Furthermore, the influence of YSG on modern
Korean culture is significant and profound. Largely hidden from public view, its value is
yet to be fully understood and explored by local citizens and the rest of Korea which the
YongSan Legacy project wants to discover and share. YOUR PARTICIPATION
Anyone who has stories and memories related to YSG can visit the website and leave
their recollections. Write about people you remember, events you want to share or
places you wished still existed. Now you can share them with old friends and family. When the new urban park is finished, your stories and memories will add layers of
history, culture and sentiment as real experiences to the park visitors. DISCLAIMER
YongSan Legacy is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that chooses to be
unbiased and impartial to any political issues or any interest groups. The project vows to
focus exclusively on the stories and memories of people who lived and served on
Yongsan Garrison and around Yongsan. This project will not tolerate any of the contents
being used to discriminate against anyone or any group. The contents intend to
promote artistic expressions of the cultural elements of YSG and that the legacy of YSG
lives on through sharing and learning about the lives of people who lived on the Base.
