Dongdaemun-gu, Bappeo · Seoul City Each Imposed Building Compliance Penalties... Why?

Dongdaemun-gu Announces on the Afternoon of the 23rd, Plans to Fully Prevent Incidents and Accidents Caused by Existing Illegal Buildings to Protect Precious Lives and Property; All Citizens to Face Equal Law Principles; ‘Bappeo’ and Seoul City to Impose Enforcement Fines by December 28... District Claims "Correcting Outdated Practices That Compromise Residents' Environmental and Property Rights to Establish a Safe Living Environment"

Panorama of Bap퍼

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Ilpyeong Lee) sent a prior notice of disposition and a request for submission of opinions regarding the unauthorized building to the free meal service 'Bappero' next to Dapsimni Underpass, operated by the Da-il Welfare Foundation (Chairman Il-do Choi), and the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Senior Welfare Department on December 12.

Therefore, if no valid reason is provided or no opinion is submitted by December 27, a construction enforcement penalty will be imposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the main building and by Bappero on both buildings respectively.

Regarding the illegal construction work, Chairman Choi claimed through the media, "There was quite a lot of rain this summer, so the Seoul Metropolitan Government told us to cover the roof."

In response, the district office stated, "We never told them to proceed with illegal construction amid over 1,000 complaints related to illegal buildings. We also confirmed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government but could not find any staff who said that."

Chairman Choi also asserted, "There was an agreement with former Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Deok-yeol Yoo regarding the expansion of Bappero," and questioned, "Should a welfare facility become a nuisance or illegal facility just because the mayor changed?" However, the district office's position is that administrative action is inevitable as Bappero applied for and received a building permit to demolish and rebuild the existing violating building but is forcibly expanding illegally without demolition.

A district official said, "Due to Bappero's continuous illegal expansion work, residents' complaints about the infringement of children's safety and property rights around the school route have intensified," adding, "We issued five stop-work orders, one usage suspension order, and two correction orders to Bappero, and requested cooperation for property management from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, but both sides are ignoring laws and principles, so we have no choice but to impose enforcement penalties respectively."

Residents who have suffered for decades because of Bappero emphasized, "Acts that undermine the rule of law under the pretext of facilities for the socially vulnerable will only provoke serious social conflicts."

Another resident strongly opposed, stating, "Since the Dapsimni Underpass next to the Bappero building should be used as a school route for students in the future, no further sacrifices can be made to ensure a safe school route."

The head of the Housing Department of Dongdaemun-gu said, "We must avoid losing numerous lives and properties due to incidents caused by illegal buildings and dealing with them belatedly," and added, "Correcting illegal practices is something that must be done at some point. Since Bappero's issues must be resolved within the scope of the law, the measures taken by Dongdaemun-gu to ensure residents' safety and administrative fairness are an unavoidable choice."

Ilpyeong Lee, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "It is true that Bappero has devoted great effort to welfare projects for vulnerable groups, but for the long-term development of Dongdaemun-gu and Bappero, I hope it will abide by current laws and become a more mature facility that all residents can bless and recognize."

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