Reward of 2 Million Won Granted
The Daegu Safety Practice Citizens' Association announced on the 19th that it had been selected by the Board of Audit and Inspection as a '2025 Outstanding Whistleblower' for filing a public interest audit request. The request highlighted violations of the Building Act at the Apsan Sunset Camping Site, improper handling during the preliminary architectural review process, and issues in the contractor selection process.
As a result, the association received a reward of 2 million won from the Board of Audit and Inspection.
On July 13, 2023, the Daegu Safety Practice Citizens' Association filed a public interest audit request with the Board of Audit and Inspection, citing multiple suspected legal violations uncovered during the development of the Apsan Sunset Camping Site.
The Board of Audit and Inspection's investigation confirmed numerous illegalities, including a violation of the Building Act due to the campsite's floor area of 730 square meters, the installation of lodging facilities in a neighborhood park in violation of relevant laws, the use of prohibited aluminum composite panels, the use of general insulation instead of the specified semi-noncombustible insulation in the design, and the installation of astronomical observation facilities and a pet playground without proper administrative procedures.
The Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act defines camping facilities as "facilities installed on the ground using tents or similar primary materials," and the Enforcement Decree of the Building Act limits the total floor area of ancillary facilities at campsites to less than 300 square meters. This case was found to be a clear violation of these legal standards.
The Board of Audit and Inspection ordered Nam-gu District Office to devise a plan to reconstruct the camping facilities in compliance with the Tourism Promotion Act. In addition, it issued three notifications and three warnings to officials involved in the project, and recommended disciplinary action against two Nam-gu District Office officials to the Daegu Metropolitan Government.
At the time, the association criticized, "The Apsan Sunset Camping Site is a prime example of wasteful spending of taxpayers' money due to comprehensive administrative negligence and disregard for procedures. Such widespread illegalities cannot be attributed to individual misconduct by public officials alone; given that this was a district mayor's campaign pledge, the project could not have proceeded without the direction and tacit approval of the top official."
The association further pointed out, "Can the public truly trust the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct a fair audit when it has not taken strong actions such as filing criminal charges ex officio or seeking compensation for the waste of public funds?"
Meanwhile, the association reiterated, "With this reward as an opportunity, Daegu City must establish institutional measures to ensure that populist development pledges pursued by each local government do not lead to environmental destruction and reckless development. For projects above a certain scale, it should be mandatory to consult with the metropolitan mayor in advance."
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