Old Gwangju Seogu Funeral Hall Building Demolition Halted for Three Months... Damaging Urban Aesthetics

Safe pedestrian rights also threatened... Construction to resume next week

Seo-gu official: "We will thoroughly inspect on-site safety facilities"

The demolition work of the old Gwangju Seo-gu Funeral Hall building has been halted for three months, threatening the safe walking rights of pedestrians passing through this area.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] A building in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City has been left abandoned for several months after demolition work was halted, turning it into an 'eyesore in the urban area.'

In particular, the sidewalk in front of this building has heavy pedestrian traffic and is located near a bus stop, raising concerns that the 'eyesore' could easily become a 'hazard,' highlighting the need for safety measures.

According to Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, on the 23rd, the Gwangju Seo-gu Funeral Hall recently reported its closure in early last year and began demolition work around the end of last year.

However, the demolition work was stopped shortly after it began. The local government explained that since the building is privately owned, it is difficult to confirm the reasons for the work stoppage.

As the demolition was delayed, the resulting damage fell entirely on the citizens. The building is adjacent to the pedestrian walkway, and citizens waiting for buses at the stop are directly exposed to safety risks.

When visiting the site around 10 a.m. that day, it looked dangerous even from a distance. Although yellow protective screens were installed across the entire five-story building, approximately 120 meters in length, the safety fence was less than half the height of the building. It appeared risky as construction materials could fall down.

The entire 120-meter pedestrian walkway was dug up, threatening the safe walking rights of pedestrians passing through. An elderly person passing by slowed their steps considerably, possibly due to the uneven sidewalk.

At the bus stop, citizens seemed to want to stay away from the building, so they waited for the bus right next to the roadway, where vehicles frequently honked their horns.

Despite the situation, a large truck was parked on the sidewalk, and construction materials such as stones and soil were left around the sidewalk, making it difficult to find any safety measures other than the fence.

Ahn Jaeyoung (55), who was waiting for the bus, said, "It has been left like this for several months, and the pedestrian walkway is extremely dangerous. It would not be surprising if a safety accident occurs at any time." He raised his voice, saying, "The problem is not that the construction was stopped, but that citizens' safe walking rights should be prioritized."

In response, a Seo-gu official said, "Since it is private property, unless there is a violation of regulations, there is no way to enforce action, and we must seek cooperation." He added, "We will revisit the site to carefully inspect safety and take measures to ensure that citizens do not experience inconvenience."

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