Written Inquiry Demands Answers on Design Competition Controversy
"City Must Explain Revisions to Technical Review Report"
Gwi-Soon Lee, Gwangju City Council member.
Gwi-soon Lee, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangsan-gu 4), submitted a 'written inquiry' to Gwangju City on the 7th, pointing out serious issues regarding the recent controversy over the 'Asia Water History Theme Experience Center' design competition. She called for clear fact-checking and responsible answers from the city.
Lee stated, "From controversies over violations of design competition guidelines to questions about the reliability of the technical review report and the appropriateness of public building construction procedures, we must thoroughly investigate all suspicions raised throughout the project to guarantee citizens' right to know and ensure transparent administration."
The Asia Water History Theme Experience Center and a nature-style water play facility, scheduled to open in the first half of 2027 on a 79,000-square-meter site along the Yeongsan River in Dongnim-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, is a key pledge project by Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung, with a total budget of approximately 29.8 billion KRW. In November last year, Gwangju City launched an international design competition with a budget of about 1.7 billion KRW, and after the first and second rounds of judging, the winning design was selected in February.
Through her written inquiry, Lee requested, "Despite the initial draft of the technical review report raising concerns about 'exceeding the allowable total floor area,' the final report reduced the stated area and proceeded with the evaluation. Please provide a clear explanation of this process, as well as submit related materials such as the original drawings and calculation methods used during the verification of the total floor area."
She also called for clarification on why the initial draft of the technical review report indicated 'failure to meet parking standards,' but this information was omitted in the final report, and urged the city to state its position regarding the design firm's claim about 'modifications to the technical review report.'
After the city announced as the winner a design embroiled in guideline violation controversy during the international competition, a participating company filed for an injunction against Gwangju City, and Buk-gu, the authority for architectural review, raised concerns about potential violations of building laws, further intensifying the controversy.
On the 8th, Lee emphasized, "To resolve all raised issues and restore public trust, I demand a thorough public verification of the entire competition process. We will clearly reveal the truth behind all suspicions that surfaced during the Asia Water History Theme Experience Center design competition and ensure that citizens' tax money is used transparently and fairly, fulfilling our responsibilities to the end."
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