Gwangju City Council Condemns "Exclusion of Local Companies from Gwangju Global Motors"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim Yong-jip) on the 13th urged the preparation of innovative measures to expand the participation of local companies in the selection process of the cafeteria operation company and the solar power equipment company of Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), and to become a company that coexists with the local community.

Through a statement on the same day, the Gwangju Metropolitan Council stated, "Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), established as Korea's first regional win-win job and the first model of Gwangju-type jobs with the support and interest of citizens, has recently shown a pattern of depriving opportunities by imposing excessive qualification restrictions rather than considering the participation of local companies and citizens in the selection of cafeteria operation companies and solar power equipment companies."

It continued, "In the cafeteria bidding process, participation of local companies was restricted by excessive standards allowing only large corporations to participate. After receiving criticism from the city council and the local community, the standards were slightly relaxed and re-announced, but ultimately a large corporation was selected. Also, in the solar power generation lease business, qualifications were indiscriminately and excessively restricted, preventing capable local solar power companies from participating and depriving citizens of opportunities to participate, which is a key driving force for energy transition," it claimed.

The council said, "The solar power generation project of GGM will undoubtedly be the starting signal toward 'carbon neutrality and energy self-reliant city Gwangju by 2045,' and from the perspective of the symbolism of the Gwangju-type job project, it is a significant responsibility and duty to broadly guarantee the participation of local companies in the solar power generation project and actively open opportunities for citizen participation." It urged, "As a citizen company and local company, GGM should withdraw the existing announcement of the solar power generation project and prepare innovative measures to become a company that coexists with the local community through re-announcement."

Furthermore, it stated, "If unilateral decisions continue ignoring the demands of the local community, we will hold the CEO and management accountable by all means and methods together with citizens who hope for the success of the Gwangju-type job project. Representing Gwangju City, the Gwangju Green Car Promotion Agency, which invested 48.3 billion won in taxes, is expected to properly fulfill its role as the first major shareholder. We strongly urge the CEO and management of GGM to operate the company while keeping in mind once again the expectations and sense of mission under which GGM was born," it said.

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