Kim Jaewoo of Gumi City Council: "Comprehensive Review of APC Construction Project Is Unavoidable"

Establishing Clear Direction and Accountability in Public Projects

Kim Jaewoo, a member of the Gumi City Council in North Gyeongsang Province (Democratic Party of Korea, representing Hyeonggok, Songjeong, and Wonpyeong), strongly called for a comprehensive review of the Agricultural Produce Distribution Center (APC) construction project during the 289th temporary session's second plenary meeting. He pointed out fundamental problems with the project and emphasized, "Public projects funded by taxpayers' money must be pursued with clear direction and accountability above all else."

Assemblyman Kim Jaewoo (Democratic Party·Hyeonggok·Songjeong·Wonpyeong) pointed out the overall problems of the Agricultural Product Distribution Center (APC) construction project during the second plenary session of the 289th extraordinary meeting, emphasizing that "it is crucial to proceed with public projects funded by citizens' taxes with clear direction and accountability," and strongly demands a complete reconsideration.

In his opening remarks, Kim stated, "The recent increase in fatigue among public officials at the team leader level and above can be attributed to the surge in budget execution and the administrative burden caused by the diversification of legislative activities." He stressed the need to "establish an administrative system that enables public officials to work according to their convictions."

He then focused his questions on two core issues: the sharp increase in the budget due to changes in the project plan, and the gap between the original purpose of establishing the Gumi Integrated Food Support Center and its actual operational plans.

According to Kim, the APC construction project was initially planned with a budget of 4 billion KRW from national, provincial, and city funds. However, due to changes in the site and road expansion, the project cost has ballooned to over 10.9 billion KRW, significantly increasing the financial burden.

He also criticized, "If the Gumi Integrated Food Support Center, which was established under the leadership of the city, loses its original function and the school meal center is outsourced to the private sector, the purpose of its establishment becomes meaningless."

Kim asserted, "With the current structure and budget plan, it is realistically impossible to operate the Agricultural Produce Distribution Center, and it is difficult to manage the risks of procurement, inventory, and pricing." He urged, "Even at this stage, the entire project should be re-examined, and if necessary, completely halted and re-planned."

Finally, he suggested, "It would be desirable to attract the North Gyeongsang Regional School Meal Center to Gumi in order to establish a food plan system where local businesses and farmers can prosper together." He added, "Gumi should become a sustainable food industry hub where agriculture and industry grow together."