Half of Buk-gu Gwangju's Wi-Fi Devices 'Missing'... 30 Million Won Budget Wasted

Representative Hyunjin Son: "Serious Neglect of Equipment and Budget Waste"
"Low Utilization and Complete Lack of Post-Management"

It has been pointed out that of the four public Wi-Fi devices installed by Buk-gu, Gwangju, at a cost of over 30 million won, the locations of two devices cannot even be identified, while the remaining two have been left neglected. This has reignited controversy over wasteful spending and poor post-management.

Hyunjin Son.

According to the Buk-gu Council of Gwangju on June 24, Hyunjin Son recently revealed during the 2025 Administrative Autonomy Committee's administrative audit that "the Mudeungsan Watermelon Informatization Village Information Center has been closed for years due to the suspension of the project, and the former Rocket Precision Machinery site in the Bonchon Industrial Complex has also been demolished, making it impossible to verify the whereabouts of the Wi-Fi equipment," disclosing the results of an on-site investigation.

Son further pointed out that the two devices installed on the rooftop of the Bonchon Industrial Complex Management Corporation have also been left unattended since last year's remodeling, stating, "Budget was spent, but in reality, the equipment is not being used at all."

In particular, despite the high specifications that allow up to 250 simultaneous connections per device, there was no prior analysis of daily demand or efficiency, and the installation costs were also deemed excessive.

Son emphasized, "To achieve sustainable digital welfare, it is essential to establish a post-management system and analyze the cost-effectiveness of the budget," adding, "The entity responsible for managing the equipment must be clearly defined, and responsible operation must be ensured for all future informatization projects."