Suncheon City Council Sits on Consent Proposal for Private Consignment of Suncheonman Garden Market, Controversy Spreads

Lawmaker So Byeong-cheol's Friend, Flower Wholesale Dealer Mr. A Mentioned... Criticism for Hesitation
City Council Has Approved Consent Proposals and Enacted Operational Ordinances Multiple Times... Self-Contradiction

On the 20th, Heo Yu-in, Chairman of the Suncheon City Council, is speaking at the 4th plenary session of the 256th extraordinary meeting.

[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] The consent proposal for the private consignment of ‘Suncheonman Garden Market’ has not even been discussed and is lying dormant in the Suncheon City Council (Chairman Heo Yoo-in), causing the controversy to spread.

The Suncheon City Council concluded the 4th plenary session of the 256th extraordinary meeting yesterday without putting forward the ‘Suncheonman Garden Market Private Consignment Consent Proposal’.

As a result, the repeated media criticisms of the Suncheonman Garden Market as ‘Suncheon City Council’s obstruction’ have become a reality.

The Suncheonman Garden Market is a project selected in 2017 through a Korea Forest Service public contest and has been promoted since then. It obtained consent for acquiring public property from the Suncheon City Council in 2019, completed land compensation, and secured the establishment and operation ordinance in March, the establishment and operation ordinance for the investment corporation in May, and in July, obtained consent for investment and secured a budget of 1 billion KRW.

Subsequently, the Suncheon City investment corporation ‘Suncheonman Garden Market Co., Ltd.’ publicly recruited private shareholders with 1.01 billion KRW from the 15th to the 24th of last month. A total of 685 citizens interested in the garden industry participated in the shareholder recruitment (186 farmers, 480 individuals, and 19 corporations).

‘Suncheonman Garden Market Co., Ltd.’ completed the corporate establishment procedures through the inaugural general meeting held on the 15th and planned the completion ceremony and temporary opening on the 12th of next month in connection with the Korea Garden Industry Expo. However, the City Council did not even refer the ‘Private Consignment Consent Proposal’ to the standing committee and stalled it, turning on a red light.

This has led to criticism that the Suncheon City Council is destroying parliamentary democracy through self-denial.

In other words, the City Council is accused of obstructing progress by delaying the start despite having secured the establishment and operation of the Suncheonman Garden Market, the establishment and operation of the investment corporation, and the budget.

In particular, the City Council’s behavior is causing the garden plant market to close this fall, placing a burden on the struggling local economy.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Mr. A, a friend and close aide of National Assembly member So Byung-chul (Suncheon Gap) who is engaged in flower wholesale and retail, conveyed opinions to Democratic Party-affiliated city council members to oppose the ‘Suncheonman Garden Market Private Consignment Consent Proposal,’ leading to claims that some council members are being cautious due to next year’s party nominations.

Citizen B said, “The council has proceeded with all procedures so far, but if they are sitting on the private consignment consent proposal while watching the National Assembly member’s friend, it is doubtful who the council is really serving.”

Kim Mi-yeon, Chairwoman of the Suncheon City Council Urban Construction Committee, said, “We requested the city executive branch to prepare measures for small business owners, but nothing has been presented,” implying that measures for small business owners should precede.

In response, a Suncheon city official said, “There was an agreement made in the Vice Mayor’s office with those operating flower shops,” adding, “We promised not to do retail at the Garden Market, but the demands keep changing.”

Citizen C said, “It is natural for the council to point out administrative issues, but not even referring the proposal to the standing committee is a self-denial of parliamentary democracy,” and added, “It is embarrassing to involve the local National Assembly member in this matter.”