Kang Su-hoon, Gwangju City Council Member, "City Must Firmly Respond to Lawsuit on Pyeongdong Urban Development Project"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] In the recent legal battle over the designation of the preferred negotiator for the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area urban development project in Gwangju Metropolitan City, claims have emerged that the cause of Gwangju City's first trial loss stemmed from a "typical closed-door administration that began from the initial planning stage."

On the 13th, Gwangju City Council member Kang Suhoon urged the city to urgently prepare countermeasures regarding the lawsuit ruling on the cancellation of the preferred negotiator selection for the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area during the 5th plenary session of the extraordinary meeting, and called for a wise decision from the judiciary for the citizens of Gwangju and the public interest.

Councilman Kang criticized, "Gwangju City planned to develop the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area as an investment leading area in 2020 but suddenly switched to an urban development project after failing the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) public contest. It is a hasty administration where the city colluded with private construction forces for the purpose of urban development, as if foreseeing the failure in the MOLIT contest."

In fact, on March 13, 2020, Gwangju City set a plan to promote the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area as a regional development project (investment leading area) to create a Hallyu cultural complex.

However, it was confirmed that the city, with only about a month left before the MOLIT contest deadline, failed to even conduct a project application plan study and instead asked a private company to prepare a "project proposal," which was then submitted to the MOLIT support contest project, causing a major uproar.

He stated, "The problematic company that prepared the project proposal is included in the Hyundai Engineering consortium, and even more notably, Sky Eleven Co., Ltd., the company planning the strategic industrial facilities for the development of the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area, is a spectacle."

He continued, "The CEO of Sky Eleven Co., Ltd., who plays a key role in the project, has been promoting the same type of project in Changwon, Gyeongnam since 2015 and has served as the CEO of Changwon Complex Cultural Town Co., Ltd., the operator of Changwon SM Town. Despite various issues pointed out by the media, the Gwangju City official in charge has been continuously meeting this person since 2019 and jointly planning the initial development of the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area, which is where the problem began."

Changwon SM Town, similar to Gwangju City's case, is a private investment project where apartments and other sales profits are used to donate a hotel and performance hall-equipped SM Town to Changwon City, but it is still under litigation due to numerous suspicions such as improper private investor recruitment.

Councilman Kang said, "Regarding the recent first trial ruling on the cancellation lawsuit of the preferred negotiator for the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area, Gwangju City's response, which raised 11 negotiation conditions, is also very disappointing," adding, "Since the project was pushed forward recklessly under the guise of proactive administration without any strategy regarding urban planning and strategic projects from the planning stage, the defeat in this lawsuit was an expected outcome."

Park Jeonghwan, head of the Economic Startup Office, promised, "We must win the lawsuit regarding the preferred negotiator for the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area development. We will strengthen the logic concerning the issues pointed out by the court in the first trial and respond well in the second trial through detailed data review."

Mayor Kang Kijeong stated, "It was one of the incomprehensible projects since my inauguration," and added, "We will re-examine the legitimacy, concept, promoters, and process of the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area development project and also request the Audit Committee to investigate."

Meanwhile, Councilman Kang said, "Regarding the lawsuit on the preferred negotiator for the Pyeongdong semi-industrial area, the proper course for Gwangju City is to actively request public audits and investigations by investigative agencies. We ask the judiciary to consider that there were reasons for the breakdown of negotiations to restore the abnormal administration that started with various special favors to normalcy, even if belatedly."

He cited the movie Honest Candidate 2 as an example, saying, "An event like a movie happened in Gwangju as well, where a local government head thirsty for re-election, an administrative technician who skirts the law to create achievements and package themselves as competent, and a business broker who knows such dynamics well were all manipulated," and added, "I cannot help but feel sorry to the citizens of Gwangju."

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