Gwangju Seo-gu 'Mask Production Project in Each Neighborhood' Canceled Due to Staff Opposition, a 'Farce'

Support of 50 Million Won... Production of 2,000 Cotton Masks per Dong Planned

Dong Chiefs and Staff Say "Practically Impossible"... Stirring on Internal Bulletin Board Too

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Amid the ongoing spread of ‘COVID-19,’ Seo-gu District in Gwangju Metropolitan City initiated a project to produce cotton masks in each neighborhood and distribute them to neighbors in need, but the project was canceled within a few hours due to staff opposition, resulting in an embarrassing situation.

The staff acknowledged the good intention but argued that, considering the accumulated fatigue from additional tasks caused by COVID-19 on top of their basic duties, the project did not take the reality into account.

According to Seo-gu on the 11th, the district held an emergency urgent issue meeting on the 5th, chaired by District Mayor Seo Dae-seok, with each neighborhood chief and volunteer camp officials in attendance.

The core plan was to have each of the 18 neighborhoods in the district produce 2,000 cotton masks and distribute them to neighbors, with a total project budget of 50 million KRW to support each neighborhood with 2 to 3 sewing machines, materials, and simple sewing tools.

The intention was good as it was a pure volunteer effort to help neighbors who found it difficult to purchase masks amid the steady occurrence of COVID-19 cases.

Additionally, the plan was that if sewing machines and other equipment were prepared this time, even after COVID-19 subsides, mask production and distribution could continue to prepare for fine dust, ensuring sustainability.

However, after the meeting, most neighborhood chiefs and staff felt frustrated.

It was judged that it would be difficult to recruit volunteers to make masks in a short time, and if volunteers were not recruited, staff might have to work overtime to cover the workload.

Consequently, the staff immediately opposed the project, calling it nothing more than a ‘showy administration.’

One staff member pointed out, “With 50 million KRW, if cotton masks were purchased at the lowest price, about 80,000 masks could be bought, but with 2,000 masks per neighborhood, it only amounts to 36,000 masks,” adding, “It is an unreasonable showy administration ignoring the way to secure about 50,000 more masks.”

Another staff member argued, “Even if it is for COVID-19, what use is a mask without a filter against fine dust?” and “It will eventually become a project with low utility.”

On an anonymous bulletin board accessible only to staff, dozens of comments agreeing with these opinions were reportedly posted within a short time.

As opposition grew, the overwhelmed department head immediately announced the project’s suspension.

The explanation was that masks were scarce nationwide, and despite having a budget, it was difficult to purchase them, so the intention was for neighbors to take care of themselves.

However, criticism became unavoidable regarding the lack of communication among staff and the promotion of a ‘showy administration’ that did not consider reality.

Assemblyman Kim Soo-young said, “This will remain a representative case of excessive showy administration pushed forward without considering the circumstances of each neighborhood.”

In response, a representative from the project department stated, “We should have taken more time and held sufficient meetings, but since the proposal came from one organization and seemed well-intentioned, we rushed to proceed,” adding, “In the future, we will make decisions through thorough opinion gathering when promoting other projects.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.