Gyeongnam Province Begins Demolition of Old Bathhouse Chimneys... Special Grants to Outstanding Cities and Counties

Gyeongsangnam-do is proceeding with the early demolition of old bathhouse chimneys to prepare for any possible accidents.

According to Gyeongnam Province on the 6th, a project to maintain old and hazardous bathhouse chimneys is underway, targeting bathhouse chimneys that are over 6 meters tall and have been standing for more than 20 years.

This project involves the city and county governments allocating and supporting budgets, and if the owners demolish the chimneys, the province evaluates the performance and provides incentives (performance bonuses) to the city and county governments.

The incentives provided by the province can be used as general funds by the city and county governments, as they are special adjustment grants supporting excellent policy projects such as joint evaluations of major tasks, prompt execution, and tax administration evaluations.

The province plans to proactively demolish old chimneys to fundamentally prevent safety accidents that could occur if dilapidated bathhouse chimneys are left unattended.

Old chimney of a public bathhouse.
Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government

Earlier, the province conducted performance evaluations of the maintenance project for city and county governments twice, in January and August.

Through the first performance evaluation from May to December 2022, incentives totaling 50 million KRW were provided: 10 million KRW for one site in Changwon, 15 million KRW for one site in Geoje, and 25 million KRW for two sites in Yangsan.

In the second evaluation based on performance from January to July this year, a total of 15 sites qualified for incentives, including 9 sites in Changwon and 6 sites in Hapcheon.

The province plans to provide a total of 170 million KRW in incentives in the second half of this year, including 92 million KRW for Changwon and 78 million KRW for Hapcheon.

A provincial official stated, “To ensure the safety of residents and protect lives, the early demolition of old bathhouse chimneys requires the interest and active cooperation of chimney owners, mayors, and county heads. We will continue to do our best for a safe Gyeongnam, a core task of the 8th Gyeongnam Provincial Government, through administrative and financial support.”