"Irresponsible SOC Management Amid 2 Trillion Won Debt" Criticized
City Explains: "Additional Bedrock Found, Causing Structural Work Delays"
Sooki Park, Gwangju City Councilor.
As the delay in the opening of Phase 1 of Gwangju Metro Line 2 becomes a reality once again and two sections of Phase 2 have failed to attract bidders five times, resulting in the project drifting without progress, criticism has emerged over Gwangju City’s irresponsible management of SOC (social overhead capital) projects and lax fiscal operations.
Sooki Park, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party, Gwangsan 5), reiterated the seriousness of the construction delays for Gwangju Metro Line 2 during a “five-minute free speech” at the 333rd extraordinary session’s first plenary meeting held on June 23, 2025. Park also urged the city to take responsibility and devise measures to address the difficulties facing major SOC projects in the region, which have led to inconvenience and anxiety among citizens.
Park stated, “For Phase 2 of Line 2, there is growing concern that the construction could be stalled for an extended period due to five failed bidding attempts,” adding, “Sections 7 and 10 have not even begun construction yet.”
She went on to cite the example of Seoul, which proceeded with construction without delays by adjusting construction costs to reflect reality, and criticized Gwangju City’s lukewarm and complacent response, saying, “When the bids failed, the city should have immediately assessed realistic construction costs and requested an increase from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.”
Park pointed out that although Mayor Kang Gi-jung promised in September 2024 to complete construction by the end of 2025 and open the line in 2026, and mentioned “90% completion of road paving by the end of last year and full completion by the end of June this year,” these promises were not kept. She noted that the road restoration deadline was postponed again in March 2025, meaning that the commitments have been reversed more than twice.
Park also remarked, “The mayor, who previously demanded an apology from the former mayor for not disclosing construction progress during the transition committee period, should now honestly inform citizens about the construction schedule and issue a public apology himself.”
Park expressed concern about the deterioration of Gwangju City’s fiscal soundness as well. She said, “After surpassing 1 trillion won in local bonds in 2020, Gwangju’s debt has exceeded 2 trillion won in just five years. This means that each of the 1.4 million citizens is shouldering about 1,477,000 won in debt. Despite this, the main use of these massive local bonds, the metro construction, is not being executed on time, and even national funds are being carried over. The city must present a roadmap to improve its lax and irresponsible management of SOC projects.”
In response, a Gwangju City official explained, “Since December 2024, more than 3,600 dump truck loads of hard bedrock have been discovered underground, contrary to the original design, which extended the rock-breaking work period. In addition, complaints from residents near station entrances required night work, causing delays in the construction of structures. As a result, follow-up works such as electrical, signaling, and communications have also been delayed, and we are currently reviewing the overall construction schedule.”
The official added, “We plan to inform citizens of the results of the schedule adjustment. We are also reviewing various improvement measures to minimize inconvenience to citizens, such as opening completed sections as needed, handling complaints through a dedicated task force, and coordinating with relevant departments.”
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