Residents Near Seogu Mareuk Park Special Project Form 'Emergency Committee' and Hold Rally
Silent to Meeting Requests... Residents Say "Is Communication Cut Off Even to Citizens?"
City Official: "Not a Communication Breakdown, Normal Procedu
Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung, who has been embroiled in controversy due to communication breakdowns with the city council, the representative body of citizens, is now facing criticism for a lack of communication with the citizens themselves.
This is because he has consistently responded with 'no answer' to multiple requests for meetings from residents raising issues related to the construction of apartments under the private park special project.
There are also concerns that a culture of poor communication may be spreading within Gwangju's public service.
On the morning of the 23rd, about 70 residents of Geumho Ssangyong Yega Apartments in Seo-gu, Gwangju, held a rally in front of Gwangju City Hall, urging the suspension of the "Maruk Park Special Project New Apartment Construction," citing numerous issues.
On the morning of the 23rd, about 70 residents of Kumho Ssangyong Yega Apartments in Seo-gu, Gwangju, held a rally in front of Gwangju City Hall, urging the suspension of the construction of apartments under the Maruk Park special project, citing numerous problems.
They explained that even elderly residents in their 70s with physical difficulties sat on the ground at the city hall entrance shouting "Kang Ki-jung, come out," and that the reason for this collective action is the city’s persistent silence despite repeated requests.
The reason is that they hope Mayor Kang Ki-jung might pay at least some attention if they take collective action.
The Emergency Countermeasure Committee of Ssangyong Residents Opposing Maruk Hoban sent a request for a meeting with Mayor Kang to Gwangju City on the 7th. However, receiving no response, they submitted a second official letter on the 20th, but still received no reply.
Subsequently, they asked the official in charge of the special project to prepare a report and send it to the mayor. The official reportedly delivered it to the secretariat, but the committee did not receive any official response.
Given this situation, the committee resorted to collective action to secure a meeting with Mayor Kang.
Choi Cheol-won, chairman of the emergency committee, lamented, "When we submitted two official letters, if the mayor could not meet us immediately, shouldn’t he have at least responded in some way? How can he represent the 1.4 million citizens of Gwangju if he does not even care about the voices of the citizens?"
He added, "Currently, it seems as if the mayor’s office is vacant. Despite three requests in total?two official letters and one report delivered through an official?there is still no response. This shows that not only the mayor but also the city officials are ignoring the citizens."
In response to the controversy over Mayor Kang’s lack of communication, Gwangju City argued that all matters follow proper procedures.
They explained that numerous meeting requests are received daily, and it is impossible to report all of them directly to the mayor. The responsible department makes a first judgment and decides whether to forward the request to the secretariat.
A Gwangju city official stated, "If the mayor is to meet directly, he needs to have some answers prepared. This requires time to organize various materials necessary for the meeting. Therefore, when a meeting request is received, the department first assesses whether it can be resolved internally, and this meeting request was not immediately reported to the mayor."
However, despite this explanation, the controversy over 'lack of communication' is expected to continue. Residents are frustrated not because Mayor Kang refused a meeting, but because there has been no response at all.
One resident said, "We are not denying the construction of apartments in Maruk Park itself, but we need administration that also considers the convenience of residents who have lived here for a long time. It is regrettable that the mayor, who should oversee the happiness of Gwangju citizens as a whole, is perceived as being uncommunicative."
Meanwhile, Mayor Kang Ki-jung has been facing ongoing discord between the city council and the executive branch, the two pillars of local politics, since early in his term over issues such as the main budget and recently the 'public institution structural reform.'
At that time, council members complained about the lack of proper communication and the city’s unilateral announcement of reform plans. They criticized Mayor Kang for rushing to announce the plans before the results of the feasibility study were even available, calling it a disregard for the council.
Some voices suggest that this perception of 'lack of communication' is extending beyond the city council to the citizens, making it difficult for Mayor Kang to avoid criticism.
In response, a Gwangju city official said, "This is not a communication breakdown with citizens but a careful process following proper procedures. Regarding the Maruk Park special project, we will seek solutions through continuous dialogue among the emergency committee, private park promoters, and the city."
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