Nam-gu Completes Soccer Field in 2022 with 8.6 Billion Won Investment
Nam-gu Football Association Manages 'Regular-Use Teams'
Prime Time Slots on Weekends and Evenings Monopolized
Nam-gu and Dong-gu District Office Employees Use Saturday Mornings
Field Used Illegally by Borrowing Regular-Use Team Names
Only Sports Council-Affiliated Teams Eligible, Residents Left Out
The Gwangju Nam-gu District Office is facing controversy over fairness as the Jinwol Multipurpose Sports Complex soccer field, which was built with taxpayers' money to promote community sports, is being used almost exclusively by district office employees and certain teams.
The Gwangju Nam-gu Football Association has formed regular-use teams that coordinate their own schedules, and there are growing cases of teams using the field under the guise of being regular-use teams, highlighting the urgent need to improve the reservation system.
According to Gwangju Nam-gu District Office on the 20th, the district spent 8.6 billion won in 2022 to complete the Jinwol Multipurpose Sports Complex, which includes a soccer field and futsal field. The complex was intended to expand sports infrastructure, promote community sports, and improve public health.
However, the soccer field has been used for years by 'regular-use teams,' making it nearly impossible for ordinary residents to use the facility, contrary to its original purpose of promoting community sports.
The district accepts reservations for the Jinwol Multipurpose Sports Complex soccer field one month in advance, but since its opening in 2022, regular-use teams have been given priority to reserve the field every month from the 20th to the 23rd. Ordinary residents can only use the remaining time slots after the regular-use teams have made their reservations.
Furthermore, it has been found that the schedules of the regular-use teams are managed in advance by the Gwangju Nam-gu Football Association. To join the association, a team must apply for membership through the Gwangju Nam-gu Sports Council. The requirements are that the team must have at least 25 members, and at least 70% of them must be Nam-gu residents.
In particular, the regular-use teams have reserved all prime time slots, such as weekends and weekdays from 7 to 9 p.m., which are the most popular among office workers, making it difficult for ordinary residents to use the field.
In reality, except for the free access periods on Mondays and daily from 6 to 7 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m., the same teams have reserved and used the field for years during weekends and the 7 to 9 p.m. slots. It is also reported that from 6 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays, the field is used by employees of Gwangju Nam-gu District Office and Dong-gu District Office.
It is also difficult for residents to make general reservations for the remaining time slots after the regular-use teams have booked, because only teams registered with the Gwangju Nam-gu Sports Council are eligible to reserve the soccer field at the Jinwol Multipurpose Sports Complex.
As a result, some residents have resorted to using loopholes to play soccer. Some teams not affiliated with the Nam-gu Sports Council are reportedly using the field by borrowing the names of regular-use teams for those time slots.
Mr. A, a Nam-gu resident who requested anonymity, said, "I've seen countless times where the same team reserves the same time slot throughout the year and then lends the field to other residents as if doing them a favor. The soccer field was built with taxpayers' money, but it is being monopolized by Nam-gu District Office employees and certain teams. Ordinary residents are actually being discriminated against."
Regarding this issue, an official from the Nam-gu District Office said, "I understand that the Nam-gu Football Association operates regular-use teams to efficiently manage field reservations. It may be difficult for the general public to use the field at their preferred times, but we will continue to listen to feedback and improve the management system."
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