Gwangju Bukgu Spends 160 Million Won Grant on Equipment
Left Unused Without Contract or Performance Records
Son Hyejin: "Need for Comprehensive Inspection of Public Equipment"
It has been revealed that Gwangju Bukgu District Office failed to properly manage not only the location but also the usage records of drones and 3D printers purchased more than five years ago. The equipment disappeared from the inventory management ledger and was left unattended, with operational performance reports also discontinued. The equipment was retrieved just one day after a district council member's inquiry, raising questions about whether the office was truly unaware of the situation.
According to the Gwangju Bukgu Council and other sources on June 11, Council Member Hyejin Son (Progressive Party, Yongbong, Maegok, Ilgok, Samgak-dong) pointed out during a 'five-minute free speech' at the 303rd regular session held the previous day, "The management of public assets by Bukgu District Office is severely lacking."
In 2017, Bukgu received a special grant of 160 million won from Gwangju City to install Wi-Fi in five locations, including Bonchon Industrial Complex, and to purchase three drones and three 3D printers. Among these, one drone and one printer were entrusted to the Bonchon Industrial Complex Management Corporation for one year.
The contract specified that the equipment should be used for its intended purpose and that operational performance should be reported quarterly. However, the contract was not renewed after December 2019, and inspections were conducted only three times in 2018 and once in 2019. After Bukgu District Office sent an official letter in May 2020 requesting performance records, there was no further exchange of related documents. Subsequently, the equipment was removed from the district office's inventory management ledger.
The photos attached to the inspection reports were identical each year, and the training records included not only workers from Bonchon Industrial Complex but also faculty and instructors from schools outside the district. Council Member Son stated, "When I inquired about the location of the equipment with the relevant department on the 11th of last month, the drone and 3D printer were retrieved the very next day," adding, "It is questionable whether the office was truly unaware of the situation or knew about it but failed to retrieve the equipment."
She continued, "This is not a simple mistake, but rather the result of some public officials' lack of awareness regarding public assets and structural management deficiencies," and emphasized, "District Mayor Moonin must conduct a thorough investigation and establish measures to prevent recurrence."
Council Member Son also stated, "If public equipment purchased with residents' tax money was left unused and neglected, the damage ultimately falls on the citizens," adding, "This case should serve as an opportunity to conduct a full-scale investigation and review the relevant systems."
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