Seoul City Councilor Woo Hyeong-chan Urges Improvement of Aging Library Environments in Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Including Gangseo Library

On the 9th, Suggestions for Securing Competitiveness, Safety Issues, and Surrounding Environment Improvement of the Aging Gangseo Library... Councilor Woo Hyeong-chan Emphasizes "Submitting Work Report Materials Based on Accurate Data Is Fundamental... Must Present a Vision to Secure Competitiveness of Gangseo Library Contrasting with Advanced Cultural Facilities"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seoul Metropolitan Council member Woo Hyung-chan (Yangcheon 3, Democratic Party) sharply pointed out discrepancies between the usage data of Gangseo Library reported in the work report and the actual measurements taken on-site during the administrative audit of the Education Committee at the 315th Seoul Metropolitan Council regular session on the 9th.

Prior to the recent Seoul Metropolitan Council administrative audit, Council member Woo visited Gangseo Library twice. While thoroughly inspecting the site, he examined the problems the library has and other areas that need improvement.

Dividing his visit between morning and afternoon, he personally checked the seating arrangement and the condition of aging facilities, assessing how many people use the facility daily.

Based on this, during the administrative audit held on the 9th, he pointed out that there were some differences between the figures shown in the work report submitted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the actual situation, emphasizing the importance of accurate status reporting.

Council member Woo Hyung-chan stated, “Work reports should be based on accurate data and only report confirmed facts as a principle,” and criticized that if the report differs from the actual situation, it becomes meaningless in important settings such as administrative audits.

Ayoungkyung, Director of Gangseo Library, responded, “There were errors in seating arrangements and user status before and after COVID-19, and mistakes occurred during the process of reducing and then restoring open spaces. We will promptly correct these errors,” indicating plans for improvement.

Additionally, in his questions to Gu Ja-hee, Director of the Lifelong Career Bureau, and Lee Byung-ho, Director of Jeongdok Library, Council member Woo asked, “Considering Gangseo Library’s location in the middle of a redevelopment area, and that advanced cultural facilities will be established in the future, the competitiveness of Gangseo Library may weaken. Is there any preparation for this?”

In response, Director Lee Byung-ho of Jeongdok Library said, “The education office libraries are in a more disadvantaged position compared to local government libraries, so remodeling and spatial restructuring are underway, but there are currently no plans for Gangseo Library.”

Council member Woo Hyung-chan concluded his inquiry by urging, “Gangseo Library is located in the middle of a redevelopment area, with poor accessibility, and the surroundings become dark in the evening, which may cause problems for users. There seem to be many areas that need improvement, so please present a future vision.”

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