Camp Humphreys
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Camp Humphreys is a major United States Army base located near Anjung-Ri, adjacent to the Pyeongtaek metropolitan area (Gyeonggi-do province) South Korea, at . The main feature of the base is its airstrip, which runs the entire length of the base and is also one of the busiest U.S. Army airfields outside of the continental United States. Camp Humphreys is located next to the city of Anjung-ri and about 5 miles away from the major city of Pyeongtaek. The base covers an area of 1,500,000 pyeong (1 pyeong = 3.3 meters) and it contains a commissary, Post Exchange (AAFES), theater, a variety of fast-food restaurants, the Humphreys lodge, community swimming pool, several AAFES shopettes, and a bowling alley.
Camp Humphreys houses the military jail facility in South Korea which detains soldiers for no more than a year before they are shipped off to Fort Leavenworth. There is no one major unit that commands the base, although the United States Eighth Army is the parent unit. The 2nd Infantry Division, 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 527th Military Intelligence Battalion, 501st Signal Company, 194th Support Battalion (Combat Sustainment) and 2nd CAB are just a few of the many units on the base.
In 1941, forces of the Imperial Japanese Army established bases in Paengsong and Anjung-ri. The land they used was expropriated without compensation and the bases were built with Korean labor. The United States Army took over the base during World War II, and used it in the Korean War. During and after those wars, the base was expanded with land from the settlements of Daechuri, Anjungri, Doojungri, Hamjungri, Naeri, and Dongcahngri.
As part of global repositioning efforts, the US military plans to move the USFK HQ, Eighth Army and the 2nd Infantry Division from the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to the province of Pyeongtaek by 2008. In December 2004, the Korean government agreed to U.S. plans to expand the base, currently 3,734 acres, by an additional 2,851 acres. The surrounding land, including the towns of Doduri and Daechuri, is home to some 1,372 people who would lose their land. In February 2005, peace activists and residents began a peace camp at the village of Daechuri, which declared autonomy from Korea on February 7th, 2006, vowing to resist expulsion from the expanded base area. On March 6th, 2006, South Korean National Police's riot police began to attempt a forcible eviction of Daechuri. There have been several other attempts by the South Korean National Police to evict the villagers. On May 4th, 2006, contractors hired by the Korean Ministry of National Defense demolished the Daechuri primary school, which had been an organizing center for the resisting farmers. The Korean National Police provided security for the contractors.
In October 2006, Residents of Daechuri and other small villages near Pyeongtaek agreed to a government settlement to leave their homes and allow for the base expansion. According to a Korea Herald article, "The government has agreed to provide the residents with an additional compensation package under which they will receive a 200,000 won ($230) grant every month for 10 years along with 8 pyeong (26.4 square meters) of land in an area being set aside for their relocation. Residents have also been given lump sum compensation which the government claims is between three to four times the current market value of their properties."
