Citizen Group Condemns "Secret Deal?" and Non-Disclosure of KEPCO University Campus Land Agreement Details

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Kwan-woo] Along with claims that Booyoung Housing’s donation of land for the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) University is a behind-the-scenes move for a large-scale apartment complex development plan that will bring in profits worth several hundred billion won, civic groups are intensifying demands to disclose the details of the land donation agreement suspected to involve preferential treatment between Booyoung and local governments.

The “Naju Innovation City Booyoung Golf Course Land Use Change Opposition Civic Movement Headquarters” (hereafter Movement Headquarters), composed of eight organizations from Gwangju and Jeonnam including the Gwangju Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, issued a statement on the 4th demanding, “Jeollanam-do and Naju City must fully disclose the agreement and supplementary agreements related to the KEPCO University land donation made with Booyoung Housing,” adding, “If these institutions refuse this information disclosure request again, it will be tantamount to admitting that there was a side agreement guaranteeing preferential treatment for Booyoung Housing.”

The Movement Headquarters had requested disclosure of the agreement details concerning the KEPCO University land donation among Jeonnam Province, Naju City, and Booyoung Housing on the 18th of last month through the public institution information disclosure system but was denied.

The reason for non-disclosure was explained by the Movement Headquarters as “company management and trade secrets.”

The Movement Headquarters criticized Jeonnam Province and Naju City for representing the interests of a private company. They stated, “We do not oppose companies pursuing legitimate profits in a capitalist society, but this case is an excessive preferential treatment disguised as a donation,” pointing out, “It is merely an unfair transaction with a public institution, and if the land use change for apartment complex development is realized, the incidental profits Booyoung Housing will gain are estimated to reach at least 500 billion won, harming the public interest.”

This implies that behind Booyoung Housing’s land donation for KEPCO University lies enormous apartment development profits.

The Movement Headquarters said, “Booyoung Housing claimed to donate the KEPCO University land with pure intentions. At that time, this decision received nationwide attention and greatly contributed to improving the company’s image,” but added, “We cannot help but ask whether the agreement on the land donation with pure intentions contains ‘company management and trade secrets,’ or if there is a separate agreement guaranteeing undisclosed profits to the public.”

They continued, “We want to ask Jeonnam Province and Naju City whether Booyoung Housing’s secrets and profits are important, but the damages, inconveniences, and unfairness suffered by the residents of the Innovation City due to the land use change are not important,” emphasizing, “If the land donation was purely for a sincere purpose, there would be no problem with disclosing the agreement contents in relation to the KEPCO University project plan and implementation.”

The Movement Headquarters stated, “Booyoung Housing is demanding an unreasonable land use change so confidently, but Jeonnam Province and Naju City are not responding actively, which makes it appear to citizens as if they are being led by Booyoung Housing, and this is regrettable.”

They urged, “Immediately cancel the land use change procedure that not only shakes the basic framework of the Innovation City but also grants excessive preferential treatment to Booyoung Housing, and suspend the ongoing electronic public hearing on the draft strategic environmental impact assessment for the land use change and district unit plan change of the Booyoung Golf Course site.”

Meanwhile, Booyoung Group, the parent company of Booyoung Housing, donated 400,000 square meters of the Booyoung Golf Course site in Bitgaram Innovation City, Naju, Jeonnam, as the establishment site for KEPCO University in June last year.

Since then, administrative procedures have been underway to change the remaining golf course land from natural green space to general residential area for the development of an apartment complex with about 5,300 households.

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