DHL is open and will be for some time, regardless of the rumors you might hear in the Korean community. It's staying awhile.
The Dragon Hill Lodge Armed Forces Recreation Center serves members and families members of the U.S. Armed Forces, civil service, contractor employees, retirees and non-retired veterans with VHIC ID cards. The Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 expanded authorized use to Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war (POW), veterans with VA-documented service-connected disability ratings (VHIC cardholders) and Primary Family Caregivers of eligible Veterans under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Personnel eligible to use the DHL are defined on the DHL websites page https://www.dragonhilllodge.com/about-dragon-hill-lodge/eligibility
The Dragon Hill Lodge is physically located on a military installation, US Army Garrison Yongsan, which makes access to the lodge a little more complicated than at other AFRC resort locations for guests without a DOD ID card. The reason is guests of DHL must not only be authorized AFRC patrons, but also allowed to access the military installation.
DOD ID cardholders have unrestricted access to the USAG Yongsan military installation, thus easy access to the Dragon Hill Lodge.
VA Health Insurance Card (VHIC) cardholders also have unrestricted access to the USAG Yongsan military installation, thus also easy access to DHL, however, a VHIC dependent does not. The Dragon Hill Lodge has a base access process in-place for VHIC Dependents.
Upon making your reservations to stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge the staff will create a Gate Memo with information from the VHIC cardholder and the guests passport. That Gate Memo will allow unescorted entry through the Yongsan Gate and to the Dragon Hill Lodge. Contact the Dragon Hill Lodge below for details.
With the elimination of the DOD Civilian Retiree ID Card program in February 2023, all DOD Civilian Retiree ID cards became invalid and were terminated from DEERS/RAPIDS. As such, DOD Civilian Retirees no longer have a DOD ID card for base access.
As with the VHIC dependent process above, the Dragon Hill Lodge has a base access process in-place for DOD Civilians Retirees and their Dependents. Upon making your reservations to stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge the staff will create a Gate Memo with information provided by the civilian retiree and passport(s). That Gate Memo will allow unescorted entry through the Yongsan Gate and to the Dragon Hill Lodge. Contact the Dragon Hill Lodge below for details.
For the time being, the Dragon Hill Lodge is safe in it's current location. It's no secret that eventually a replacement will be built and this DHL (or its land) given to the ROK. But we are years away from that, with no plans on the table, so for now just enjoy.
Calling from within Korea
DSN: (315) 738-2222
Comm: (02) 790-0016 / 0503-338-6258
Calling from the US or outside Korea
(+82-2) 790-0016 / (+82) 2-503-338-6258
VHIC Cardholder Requesting Base Access for Their Spouse & DOD Civilian Retirees
Contact: Ms. Nain H. Kim, Director of Rooms Division/Sales & Catering
Calling within Korea: 0503-338-6258
Calling outside Korea: (+82) 02-6903-6258
Calling DSN 315-738-6258
E-mail: KimN@DragonHilllodge.com
Ms. Kim has approved her work contact information for public dissemination here
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