At Camp Walker in Daegu, South Korea, on Tuesday, the Daegu region’s first USO held its grand opening. The center offers free Internet, a lounge, snack bar, gaming areas and other amenities. It’s the first United Service Organizations center in the region. (Rakhein McLean/Courtesy of the USO)
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — The first USO in southern South Korea has opened at Camp Walker in Daegu.
The new United Service Organizations Daegu center — with free Internet, gaming areas, a lounge, a snack bar and other amenities — held its grand opening Tuesday in Building 318.
"This is the first time there has actually been a USO in the area," said USO Daegu center manager Yolanda Johnson.
It occupies a 5,000-square-foot space that was remodeled over the past few months, Johnson said.
"This is a complete overhaul," she said. "There’s nothing of the old building that remains inside."
The center will serve not only Camp Walker but camps Henry and George in Daegu; Camp Carroll in Waegwan; Chinhae Naval Base; the Marines and sailors at Camp Mu Juk in Pohang; U.S. airmen at Kwangju Air Base; and U.S. military facilities in Busan.
It offers computer work stations with free e-mail and Internet connection.
There’s a 14-person multimedia theater room, a four-station virtual gaming room, and a Wii competition room with two 40-inch TVs and two consoles.
And there’s a lounge area with a 60-inch plasma TV and nine reclining sofas, and a snack bar.
"It’s pretty much drinks, candies and chips," Johnson said.
Machines that make hot dogs and popcorn are on order.
The center held a "soft" opening March 1 to benefit troops taking part in the annual Key Resolve/Foal Eagle training exercise.
The USO Daegu will also offer various community relations programs, including one that will bring students and instructors from local communities to Camp Walker for visits with American students. Another program, the Virtues Development Program, will give U.S. servicemembers the chance to mentor Korean grade-school students.
Center hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Johnson hopes to eventually be open Saturdays, too.
For more information, call DSN 764-4438.
