Hampyeong County Governor's Official Residence to Be Abolished After 29 Years

Public Contest Next Month for Usage Purposes and Users Among Residents

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] After 29 years, the Jeonnam Hampyeong County Governor's official residence is returning to the citizens.

On the 22nd, Hampyeong County announced that County Governor Lee Sang-ik has made the final decision to abolish the official residence, which he had pledged during his candidacy.

During the next month, opinions from citizens will be collected through an open application process, and by the end of June, the usage and users (organizations or groups) will be decided.

Currently, the county is known to prioritize self-sustaining organizations for vulnerable groups with significant social impact or facilities related to local welfare, and plans to provide these free of charge as much as possible (excluding utility fees).

The Hampyeong County Governor's official residence was built in 1991 during the appointed local government head era to ensure housing stability for government-dispatched heads.

It is a two-story building with a total floor area of 228㎡ on a 728㎡ site next to the county office.

Although it has been maintained for 29 years as an extension of the governor's work space, some have continuously pointed out that it should be abolished due to controversies over authoritarianism and budget waste.

County Governor Lee Sang-ik of Hampyeong said, “The official residence, stigmatized as high-cost and low-efficiency, is a relic of the era of government control and now remains only in a few local governments.” He added, “However, considering the symbolism and budget of the residence, we will transform it into a facility for the citizens while preserving its original form as much as possible.”

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