Dongducheon's Former STD Clinic Site of 2-Year Dispute Over Demolition vs. Preservation

The former Dongducheon STD clinic building in Gyeonggi Province is facing demolition due to a development project, leading civic groups to engage in a nearly two-year protest to preserve it, arguing it is 'evidence of state violence'.

The building, which opened in 1973 and operated until the early 1990s, was a site for STD testing and mandatory confinement of women working in the camp town. It is regarded as a symbolic space in modern Korean history where the state managed and controlled women's bodies.

The 'Joint Committee to Prevent the Demolition of the Dongducheon Former STD Clinic,' advocating for its preservation, has held tent protests for over 600 days, demanding that the evidence of state violence not be erased. The committee proposes remodeling the building into a record center for camp town women.

These preservation efforts align with a broader recognition of the state's responsibility and the human rights violations against victimized women. This includes the Supreme Court's confirmation of state compensation liability for 'comfort women' serving U.S. troops in camp towns in September 2022, over 50,000 signatures on a related petition in 2024, and a UN Special Rapporteur's recommendation to halt demolition in 2025. The state officially apologized in March 2026.

The Dongducheon former STD clinic building is considered an irreplaceable heritage as historical evidence of state violence, rather than for its architectural value. This issue has garnered attention since Lee Jae-myung's tenure as Gyeonggi Province Governor, and he has stated since his presidential election that 'preservation is desirable.'

As the conflict has become prolonged, a decision through social consensus is needed. It is crucial to properly remember the history of 'comfort women' and camp town women, which has been hushed up in the name of alliance, and find ways to pass on a correct historical perspective to future generations. The question arises whether it is possible to pass down only a clean history to descendants, despite overcoming the tragic national situation of relying on U.S. aid and providing conveniences for profit due to a lack of strength to defend the nation.