Mokpo City Spends 2.9 Billion Won on 'Empty' Public Parking Lot, Sparking Criticism Over Waste of Taxpayer Money

Low Accessibility and Utilization Make It Difficult for Outsiders to Use
Yu Changhun, City Council Member, Criticizes "Decline in Administrative Trust"

Mokpo City spent 2.9 billion won to create a public parking lot in May, but it remains virtually abandoned and empty. Photo by Seunghyun Jung

Mokpo City in South Jeolla Province invested a budget of approximately 2.9 billion won to build a public parking lot in the old downtown area, but criticism has arisen that the facility is underutilized and thus constitutes a waste of taxpayers' money.

The site in question is the former Gusaeng Daycare Center lot (located in Seosan-dong, covering an area of 3,723 square meters), where a total of 47 public parking spaces have been created. The total project cost was about 2,899,000,000 won, including 1,992,000,000 won for compensation, resulting in a budget of approximately 25,750,000 won per pyeong.

However, there are concerns that the site is located on an uphill slope and is disconnected from adjacent roads, reducing vehicle accessibility. The entrance to the parking lot is also narrow, causing inconvenience for general vehicles. In addition, the parking lot is far from tourist attractions and lacks sufficient signage, making it difficult for visitors from outside the area to use the facility.

The city explained, "This parking lot was built to meet the parking demand of the circular rental housing developed in connection with the Seosan-dong Urban Regeneration New Deal Project," and added, "It will also help resolve illegal parking along nearby roads."

A public parking lot access road adjacent to nearby houses but not yet renovated, making vehicle traffic somewhat narrow. Photo by Seung Hyun Jung

However, the straight-line distance between the parking lot and the rental housing is about 150 meters, raising questions about its practical usability. The lack of urgent road maintenance is also cited as a problem.

According to an on-site investigation by this newspaper, there were no parked vehicles at the location during evening rush hour, and the access road was effectively left unattended.

This project began with land compensation in 2019 and was promoted as part of the Urban Regeneration New Deal Project, with final completion in May of this year.

Yu Changhun, a member of the Mokpo City Council, pointed out, "A facility that cost billions of won in taxpayer money but is not actually used is bound to provoke public outrage," and added, "The city administration must invest in facilities that are effective and can earn the trust of citizens."