Changwon Ordinance to Reduce Disabled Parking Spaces Ultimately Withdrawn

The ordinance bill to reduce the percentage of disabled parking spaces in Changwon City-affiliated parking lots, which had been proposed by several members of the Changwon Special City Council in South Gyeongsang Province, has ultimately been withdrawn.

According to the city council and other sources on January 19, ten members of the People Power Party, including Councilman Kim Youngrok, submitted a withdrawal letter for the proposed partial amendment to the "Changwon City Parking Lot Installation and Management Ordinance" that afternoon.

Previously, Councilman Kim and others had proposed an ordinance aimed at alleviating the chronic parking shortage in Changwon by adjusting the proportion of disabled parking spaces in city-affiliated parking lots from the existing 4% to at least 3%.

In response, the Changwon Disability Rights Advocacy Group, a coalition of five disability organizations from the Masan and Changwon regions, held a press conference at the city hall press center on January 15 to denounce the proposed amendment.

The group stated, "Lowering the installation ratio of disabled parking spaces is a deliberate reduction of physical accessibility for people with disabilities, and constitutes a discriminatory measure by Changwon City that restricts the rights of access and mobility for people with disabilities." The group called for the withdrawal of the amendment.

Kim Youngrok, a member of the Changwon City Council, is explaining the partial amendment ordinance to adjust the percentage of disabled parking spaces in the Changwon City-affiliated parking lot from "4%" to "at least 3%."

The lead sponsor, Councilman Kim, held a press conference the following day to explain the rationale for the ordinance, citing several points: the current cost to construct a single parking space in Changwon is as high as 43 million won; there are 11,323 vehicles eligible to use disabled parking spaces, but over 22,000 such spaces are available; adjusting the designated ratio by 1% would free up more than 5,400 regular parking spaces; and the estimated 230 billion won in construction costs saved by these 5,400 spaces could be redirected to other welfare programs for people with disabilities rather than parking lots. Despite these explanations, opposition persisted.

Councilman Kim stated, "I wanted to make more rational use of parking lots to address the chronic parking shortage for citizens, but due to insufficient communication regarding the proposed ordinance, I have decided to withdraw it. I regret that the proposal may have appeared politically motivated ahead of the local elections, and I am sorry for causing concern among citizens."

He added, "I believe it will be necessary to engage in more dialogue and coordination through meetings to find practical solutions that truly resonate with citizens. For the remainder of my term, I will do my utmost in legislative activities for Changwon City and its citizens."