Choi Il-gon Preliminary Candidate Calls for Establishment of 'Regional Building Safety Center' in Mokpo City

One in Four Buildings in Mokpo Are Over 30 Years Old

Mokpo City Fails to Comply for Over 8 Months with Mandatory Establishment of Regional Building Safety Center under the Building Act

Choi Il-gon, the Democratic Party of Korea's preliminary candidate for Mokpo City National Assembly member, revealed that Mokpo City's ratio of aging buildings is 25.1%, placing it in the top 30% among 226 basic local governments nationwide, yet it has not implemented the legally required safety measures accordingly.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's building statistics (Seumteo) as of the end of 2022, Mokpo City is one of the 68 local governments in the top 30% nationwide that have many aging buildings over 30 years old among 226 basic local governments.

However, under the current “Building Act,” Mokpo City falls under the category of cities, counties, and districts with a population under 500,000 and an aging building ratio within the top 30% nationwide (Article 87-2), which mandates the establishment of a “Regional Building Safety Center.” Despite this, more than eight months have passed since the law was enacted, and the center has yet to be established.

This legal violation is commonly observed in 8 out of 9 mandatory local governments under Jeollanam-do.

Choi Il-gon, a preliminary candidate, is holding a meeting with young people on the 13th.
[Photo by Choi Il-gon Preliminary Candidate Election Office]

Not only Mokpo City but also Yeosu City, Naju City, Boseong County, Jangheung County, Gangjin County, Jindo County, and Sinan County are subject to mandatory installation but remain unestablished. The only exception is Wando County, which completed installation in September 2022.

Meanwhile, the government budget for this year does not include support funds for local governments that have not installed Regional Building Safety Centers, leading to criticism that the central government is neglecting the implementation of local building safety measures.

The government’s 2024 budget for “Regional Building Safety Center Installation and Operation” is about 100 million KRW, which only covers promotional expenses for the 102 already established centers.

This criticism and concern are not unfounded. In fact, in July last year, a report was filed about the risk of collapse of a five-story commercial-residential building located in Honam-dong, Mokpo City, leading to the evacuation of all residents, and the building was ultimately ordered to be demolished.

Preliminary candidate Choi Il-gon stated, “After the collapse accident of a building in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju in 2021, the government declared it would strengthen local government building safety management through the establishment of Regional Building Safety Centers, but the actual implementation has been inadequate.” He added, “Mokpo, which ranks in the top 30% nationwide for building aging, could face a building collapse accident at any time, and it is worrisome that both the central and local governments are doing nothing.”

He continued, “The 'Building Act,' which mandates the establishment of local government Regional Building Safety Centers, has been in effect since June last year, and the law passed the National Assembly even a year earlier (June 2022).” He emphasized, “Despite having sufficient time to prepare, violating the law for over eight months is proof that Mokpo City lacks the will to prevent accidents and protect its citizens.”

Furthermore, he said, “The 2024 central government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) budget does not include a single won for supporting local governments that need to newly establish Regional Building Safety Centers.” He expressed anger, saying, “This is a reckless and irresponsible act by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration that neglects public safety, and the National Assembly that failed to correct this cannot escape responsibility.”

He concluded, “If elected as a member of the 22nd National Assembly, I will expedite the establishment of the Mokpo City Regional Building Safety Center and do my best to secure necessary funding support from the central government.”

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