Seoul Metropolitan Council Democratic Party "Gwanghwamun Restructuring Project Must Proceed Without Interruption"

Joo Sang-ho Floor Leader: "Over the past four years, we have communicated with citizens and experts more than 300 times. Regarding the Gwanghwamun restructuring, there was not a single opposing opinion, including from members of the three opposition parties, during last year's main budget and this year's two supplementary budget processes... Next year, we will conduct more thorough verification and listen more closely to citizens' voices during the standing committee and budget review and execution stages."

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Democratic Party of Korea (Representative Assemblyman Jo Sang-ho, Seodaemun 4) stated on the 23rd that the Gwanghwamun restructuring project should proceed without interruption in response to recent demands from some quarters to halt the project.

The Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council issued a party-level statement on the same day in response to a press conference held by the three opposition parties in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, which called for a complete cut of next year’s budget for the Gwanghwamun restructuring project and an immediate halt to the construction work.

Regarding the opposition parties’ press conference, the Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council pointed out that not a single lawmaker, including those from the three opposition parties, had actively opposed the budget process related to the Gwanghwamun Plaza restructuring in December last year, nor the partial supplementary budget for the Gwanghwamun restructuring project secured for COVID-19 response in May and June this year during plenary sessions. They emphasized that the press conference lacked clear justification.

In particular, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has revealed that since 2016, it has engaged in over 300 communications with citizens and experts over four years, including various forums, citizen surveys, large-scale citizen debates, and public hearings, resulting in overwhelming public consensus for the phased implementation of the Gwanghwamun Plaza project. Therefore, the opposition parties’ unilateral and hasty claims are considered quite unexpected as they disregard the entire process.

It was also added that recent discussions led mainly by some civic groups regarding the Gwanghwamun restructuring do not call for halting the project but rather emphasize that the project should be properly carried out reflecting the will of the citizens.

Nevertheless, the Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council stated that it will listen carefully to the voices raised both inside and outside, thoroughly review them, and work together to create a Gwanghwamun Plaza that the majority of citizens can agree upon.

Furthermore, it was announced that next year’s budget related to the Gwanghwamun restructuring will undergo more transparent and rigorous verification during the review and execution processes by the relevant standing committee and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.

Representative Assemblyman Jo Sang-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council said, “Above all, the Gwanghwamun restructuring project must not neglect traffic and citizen safety issues, causing inconvenience to the public,” urging the Seoul Metropolitan Government to “prioritize resolving citizen inconveniences and safety issues.”

He further expressed hope that “considering the symbolic significance of Gwanghwamun Plaza as a citizen’s square, it will be reborn as a warm and friendly plaza and be fully returned to the citizens as soon as possible.”

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