Dongducheon city
The Story of Dongducheon 동두천
Dongducheon (sometimes written as Tongduchon or Tongtuchon) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, 64 km north of Seoul and about 24 km from the demilitarized zone. In 1963, Dongducheon gained city (eup) status, and in 1981, Dongducheon City (Dongducheon-si) was established as part of Yangju County (gun). Today, with its 98,000 inhabitants (2024), it is a small city in South Korea that experienced an explosive population growth in the 1960s and 1970s.
Before the Korean War, Dongducheon was a rural area with a history stretching back to the Joseon dynasty, known for its beautiful natural landscapes, small markets, and role as a traffic hub between Seoul and the north (Kang, 2020).
During the Korean War, Dongducheon’s strategic location made it a crucial military site. Therefore, the city has long played a key role in the defense of Seoul, and has been heavily shaped by the presence of up to six military bases established in and around the area—particularly Camp Casey, located in the city center.
Dongducheon’s Bosan-dong area developed into a full-fledged camptown economy, with over 300 businesses catering primarily to U.S. troops (bars, clubs, and other services). This led to a distinct subculture that was often stigmatized due to associations with prostitution, violence, and dependency on foreign military presence.
The relocation of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division to Pyeongtaek in 2018 marked a significant shift, leaving behind empty infrastructure and economic voids. However, a substantial part of Dongducheon’s area is still reserved for military activities, with Camp Casey alone covering 14 square kilometers and employing both military personnel and civilian staff.
Dongducheon’s recent development is thus closely tied to the presence of U.S. bases, which have played a crucial role in shaping both the city’s economy and civilian life.
Dongducheon now faces the challenge of redefining its identity, reconciling its military past with aspirations for cultural tourism, urban renewal, and community healing.
In recent years, this has meant confronting some of the city’s darker chapters through both research and art—particularly the period when Dongducheon was known as a gijichon (camptown), surrounding US army base Camp Casey and in operation since 1952 and which at its peak had 7,000 registered prostitutes annually (Mills, 2022).
Between the Korean War and the 1990s it is estimated that there were up to 300,000 gijichon women, some have estimated that this number could be as high as one million (Mills, 2022). These Korean women were caught in a state-controlled prostitution industry, supported at the highest levels of the U.S. military
This arrangement was not only approved by both U.S. and Korean authorities, but it also became part of South Korea’s patriotic efforts, where Korean women were encouraged to use their bodies to secure a strong and loyal alliance with the U.S.
“The White House” or “The Monkey House,” as the STD (sexually transmitted disease) management center at the foot of Soyosan Mountain was colloquially known, functioned as a “prison” for women engaged in prostitution near U.S. military bases in Dongducheon. This system emerged from a series of “camptown cleanup” campaigns launched by the South Korean government and the Pentagon in the 1960s. In practice, young South Korean women were forcibly treated with penicillin in the facility and sent back to prostitution once they were deemed “clean.”
Today, the building that once housed the STD Management Center in Dongducheon still stands. Operated by the Korean government from 1973 to ensure the health and hygiene of American soldiers until its closure in 1996, the facility functioned as a detention center where up to 140 women could be confined against their will at any given time.
It is now the last remaining structure of more than 40 STD management centers nationwide. In 2022, the Supreme Court recognized the operation of this facility as an act of state violence and acknowledged the government’s responsibility to compensate the women who were confined in camp towns.
In February 2023, Dongducheon City purchased the building and the surrounding site for 2.9 billion won and is moving forward with plans for demolition as part of a broader tourism development project. The city intends to redevelop the Soyosan area into a tourist destination, with the demolition of the building as a key step.
However, the project has encountered significant resistance from civic groups, who argue that the building is a symbolic site representing the painful history of modern and contemporary Korea. These groups have maintained a tent protest in front of the building for more than a year (Greenberg 2025).
The civilian life in Dongducheon, shaped by the presence of U.S. bases, has, on one hand, brought economic growth to the city but also added several dark chapters to its history, which are only gradually being revealed. This is the historical context in which YangJu Baby Home (아원양주영) and the adoptees should be understood.
