Civic Group: "Oh Se-hoon Breaks Promise to Halt Gwanghwamun Square Construction... Full Review Needed"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced on the 27th that the Gwanghwamun Square restructuring project will proceed, with improvements made to the current plan to enhance its completeness. On the same day, Mayor Oh held a briefing at City Hall, stating, "We will respect administrative continuity as much as possible," and added, "It is the responsibility of the Seoul mayor to minimize problems and address shortcomings." The three key areas for improvement in the Gwanghwamun Square development project include strengthening historical significance through the restoration of the Woldae platform, utilizing statues such as those of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong, and ensuring connectivity with surrounding sites and buildings. The photo shows a view of Gwanghwamun Square from the Press Center. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Civic groups have once again called for the suspension of the Gwanghwamun Square restructuring construction and a full review of the project, criticizing Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's decision not to halt the construction as a "betrayal of his promise."

On the 28th, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) and Urban Solidarity held a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall, stating, "Mayor Oh has reversed his promise for a full review made during the election campaign."

They explained that during his candidacy for Seoul mayor last month, Mayor Oh responded to a questionnaire from civic groups by saying, "I oppose the Gwanghwamun Square project. If elected mayor, I will stop the project, resume public discussions, and broadly consult with citizens, civic groups, and the Citizens' Committee over time to newly decide on the content, method, and timing of creating the new Gwanghwamun Square."

The civic groups criticized, "Mayor Oh's recent statement reverses all three promises made during the election campaign. Contrary to his initial promises, he neither stopped the construction nor resumed public discussions, nor was there a broad consultation process with citizens, civic groups, and the Citizens' Committee over time."

Regarding the 'Woldae Restoration' project that Mayor Oh announced he would additionally pursue, they pointed out, "This contradicts Mayor Oh's statement that the current square project cannot be fully reviewed due to the difficulty of long-term use of the square."

They emphasized, "We will hold Mayor Oh and the Gwanghwamun Square Promotion Team strictly accountable for their wrong decisions and continue this fight until Gwanghwamun Square becomes a sustainable public space."

Seoul City began the Gwanghwamun Square restructuring construction last November under the acting mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop. Mayor Oh held an emergency briefing the day before and stated, "34% of the work has already been completed, and a massive budget of 25 billion won has been invested," expressing his intention to continue the Gwanghwamun Square construction.

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