County Council Members and Local Residents Express Dissatisfaction Over Unilateral Decision Without Resident Consultation
The Yeongam Office of Education sent the Yeongam Public Library construction plan materials to parents and education officials in Yeongam on the 22nd. Photo by Reader Provided
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Yeongam Office of Education is facing controversy for notifying stakeholders of the ‘Yeongam Public Library New Construction and Relocation Plan’ via text message without holding a single public hearing.
According to the Yeongam Office of Education on the 26th, the Yeongam Public Library new construction project is a public contest project supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with a construction cost of 17 billion KRW (7 billion KRW from Jeonnam Office of Education, 5 billion KRW from Yeongam County, and 5 billion KRW from national funds). It is planned to be built on a 6,600㎡ site with a total floor area of 3,900㎡ (1 basement floor, 3 above-ground floors, 570 reading seats), aiming to open in July 2023.
In this regard, on the 22nd, the Yeongam Office of Education sent a text message to parents and school operation committee members stating that among the eight candidate sites for relocating the Yeongam Public Library, seven were near residential complexes and deemed unsuitable for the new construction site due to various issues including cost burden, and that “it will be built on a 2,000-pyeong site at Wolchulsan Gichan Land with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors” as the ‘Public Library New Construction and Relocation Plan.’
In response, Yeongam county council members and residents expressed dissatisfaction with the Yeongam Office of Education’s lack of communication, saying, “The opinions of local residents were ignored in the library site selection process, and a unilateral decision was notified via text message.”
Previously, in September 2019, the Yeongam Office of Education conducted a ‘Library Construction Preference Survey’ targeting 5,533 local residents including elementary, middle, and high school communities in Yeongam, which showed that 69% of residents preferred a library in the form of an education and cultural complex, receiving positive evaluations.
However, no survey related to site selection has been conducted to date, leading local residents and even county council members to raise their voices, feeling ignored.
A parent from Samho-eup said, “The decision to provide the old library as a new concept complex cultural space for local residents is welcomed and appreciated by everyone,” but added, “However, it is not appropriate that the Office of Education ignored local residents’ opinions and finalized the location, notifying them by text message.”
Yeongam County Council member Yoo Na-jong stated, “The new construction site has not been finalized as Gichan Land. Nevertheless, the Office of Education sent a text message as if the location was confirmed to be Gichan Land,” and added, “The issue is not about the location itself, but about the Office of Education’s lack of communication, as they never coordinated opinions with council members during the site selection process.”
A Yeongam County Office official expressed regret, saying, “The new public library is an important matter requiring not only location but also budget negotiations,” and added, “Even if the Office of Education leads the project, it is important to select a location that the majority of residents and parents can agree on in the first place.”
In particular, Provincial Assembly member Woo Seung-hee stated on SNS, “Once a public building is constructed, it is difficult to relocate for decades. There are many concerns among residents as the Yeongam Office of Education is pushing a specific location without sufficient consultation with the county office, education office, and county council,” and emphasized, “Even if procedures such as land purchase and urban planning changes take some time, the new construction location should be decided through gathering opinions from children living in Yeongam who will use the library and local residents.”
In response, a Yeongam Office of Education official said, “We have been continuously communicating and coordinating with county council members, parents, and various people for six months,” and added, “Among the eight candidate sites for relocation, seven were unsuitable, so there was no alternative other than Gichan Land,” and explained, “We had planned to hold regional public hearings as well, but the situation was difficult due to COVID-19.”
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