Gumi City Council Holds Special Committee Meeting to Address Gumi's Key Issues

Problems Raised Over Poor Operation of Urban Regeneration Projects

The Special Committee for Resolving Current Issues in Gumi, Gumi City Council (Chairman Kim Chunnam), listened to reports from the Gumi City Urban Regeneration Support Center (hereinafter referred to as "the Center") and the heads of relevant departments of the executive branch regarding the current status of the Center's operations and post-management plans related to urban regeneration projects on December 11.

Chairman Kim Chunnam of the Special Committee for Resolving Current Issues in Gumi, Gumi City Council / Provided by Gumi City Council

During this meeting, it was pointed out that Gumi City's urban regeneration projects have been promoted without sufficient review, resulting in a lack of substance in key facilities and various problems in the overall operation of the Center.

First, according to the "Urban Regeneration Project Implementation Performance Evaluation" announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gumi City received ratings of "average" for one site, "insufficient" for one site, and "very insufficient" for one site in 2024, and "insufficient" for one site and "very insufficient" for one site in 2025. However, it was revealed that the relevant departments were not properly aware of these evaluations.

In addition, although maintenance fees for the Center's website are allocated annually, the data room has only been updated up to July 2021, and the newsletter only up to November 2024.

Furthermore, committee members, based on actual experiences and civil complaints, pointed out that the Center, which should serve as a platform for fostering resident organizations and communicating with residents, is not fulfilling its role. They also strongly criticized the Center Director and field coordinators for neglecting their duties, leading to insufficient communication with residents and waste of budget.

Lastly, it was noted that there is currently no comprehensive control tower for Gumi City's urban regeneration projects, resulting in urban regeneration efforts that do not fit the actual circumstances of Gumi City. Accordingly, the committee instructed the Department of Architectural Design, which is in charge of urban regeneration, to strengthen collaboration with related departments, establish an overall plan for urban regeneration projects, and submit it to the Special Committee.

Chairman Kim Chunnam stated, "With major projects scheduled for sequential completion starting with the Wonpyeong-dong and Seonju-wonnam-dong urban regeneration projects from 2026, it is essential at this point to establish thorough operational and post-management plans for the Center and to systematically set future directions. The Special Committee will take responsible first steps to ensure that the urban regeneration projects scheduled for completion are successfully finalized and that future projects proceed smoothly."