Citizen Group "Met with Seoul City on Gwanghwamun Square Redevelopment, but Talks Broke Down"

On the 17th, reconstruction work is underway at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. This project is part of Seoul City's efforts to create a "Gwanghwamun Square that is comfortable for people to rest and walk," with completion targeted for October next year. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Civic groups demanding the suspension of the restructuring project around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul claim that the meeting held with city officials on the 19th ended in failure.

The "Civic and Social Organizations Urging the Halt of the Hasty Promotion of Gwanghwamun Square Restructuring," composed of nine civic groups including the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) and Urban Solidarity, issued a joint statement on the 20th, stating, "Although the meeting was arranged with great difficulty at the request of civic groups, the dialogue broke down within 20 minutes due to the unilateral and unreasonable claims by city officials, which were beyond common sense and courtesy."

They said, "Right after sitting down, the city officials questioned us in a manner that resembled an interrogation by referring to the statements previously issued by the civic groups, which was beyond our expectations," and added, "We express deep regret over Deputy Mayor Kim Hak-jin’s attitude, who not only failed to stop such abrupt behavior but also passively observed it."

The civic groups strongly demanded, "Deputy Mayor Kim and the officials from the Gwanghwamun Square Promotion Team who participated in the meeting must officially and publicly apologize to the civic and social organizations."

They further stated, "If this attitude continues, dialogue with the Seoul Metropolitan Government will be impossible, and ultimately, the Gwanghwamun Square project will become a shameful endeavor marked by poor communication, hasty decisions, and unilateralism."

Seoul City announced the restructuring plan for Gwanghwamun Square last September, which includes removing the western road to incorporate it into the square and expanding the eastern road, and began full-scale construction on the 16th of this month.

The civic groups have pointed out problems with Seoul City's plan, including ▲ the absence of policies to curb vehicle demand and expand sustainable transportation methods ▲ the long construction period of four years required for the restoration of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Woldae (stone platform) ▲ and the planting of trees that obstruct assemblies and demonstrations, demanding the project’s suspension. They plan to continue relay one-person protests opposing the Gwanghwamun Square restructuring project in front of City Hall until the 27th.

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