Chairman Son Taehwa of Changwon City Council Criticizes "Irresponsible" Relocation Support for Bongam Yeonrip Apartments

Son Taehwa, chairman of the Changwon Special City Council in Gyeongnam, strongly criticized the measures announced by Changwon City regarding "relocation support for residents of Bongam Yeonrip Apartments."

Chairman Son pointed out that the city's announcement the previous day, stating it would support the relocation of residents due to the high risk revealed by a detailed safety inspection of the Bongam Yeonrip Apartments, amounted to "irresponsible administration."

Chairman Tae-Hwa Son of Changwon City Council in Gyeongnam is meeting with city council members Seung-Yeop Park and Mina Kim to discuss measures with residents of Bongam Apartment Complex. Provided by Changwon Special City Council

Earlier, on September 9, Changwon City held an emergency briefing to announce the results of the detailed safety inspection of the Bongam Yeonrip Apartments and its plan to support resident relocation, urging cooperation for the safety-driven relocation measures.

According to the city, the safety inspection found that out of the eight buildings of Bongam Yeonrip Apartments, which were completed in 1982, four received a D grade, indicating urgent repair and reinforcement was needed, while the remaining four received an E grade, meaning they must not be used immediately.

Of the 129 households in Bongam Yeonrip Apartments, 64 were classified as D grade and 65 as E grade.

The city plans to provide relocating households with up to 1.5 million won for moving expenses and a rental loan covering up to 70% of the required amount, capped at 10 million won.

Additionally, the city will allow a total of 28 households, including 23 LH rental units and 5 city-owned rental units currently secured, to reside there for at least six months and up to two years, and plans to supply additional LH rental units in the future.

On September 8, the Masan Hoewon District Office sent evacuation orders to the 65 households that received E grades, but as of now, only one person has expressed willingness to relocate.

Most residents are over 60 years old, and they are appealing for direct compensation from Changwon City, stating that the city's relocation support alone is insufficient for them to leave their homes and find new places to live.

However, the city maintains that under current regulations, the responsibility for safety measures on privately owned properties at risk lies with the management entity, making it impossible for the city to directly purchase or compensate such properties without a specific utilization plan.

Son Taehwa, chairman of the Changwon City Council in Gyeongnam, is inspecting the interior of a unit together with residents of Bongam Yeonrip Apartments. Provided by Changwon Special City Council

Chairman Son called on Changwon City, saying, "The state and public officials have a duty to protect not only the lives and safety of the people but also their property."

He argued, "With Changwon City's relocation measures, residents of Bongam Yeonrip Apartments will lose their property. Even if they formally retain ownership after all residents have relocated, they will effectively lose the entire value of their assets."

He continued, "For Changwon City to ignore this reality and simply ask residents to relocate is to abandon its responsibility to protect their property."

He also stated, "Without the consent of Bongam Yeonrip Apartment residents, the Bongamgyo Bridge expansion project cannot help but be stalled."

He explained, "To expand Bongamgyo Bridge, part of the reconstruction maintenance zone must be incorporated, but without resident consent, the maintenance zone cannot be lifted. Lifting it without resident consent could infringe on property rights."

Chairman Son emphasized, "Bongam Yeonrip Apartments are currently facing a disaster-level situation. Changwon City must come up with responsible measures to protect the safety and property of residents."