"1.5 Trillion Won to Be Invested in Replacing Aging Water and Sewage Pipes to Prevent Ground Subsidence"... Hojung Choi, Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairperson, Proposes Ordinance Amendments

“Seoul Should Focus on Fundamentals Rather Than Appearances”
Chairperson Choi Stresses the Importance of Prompt Maintenance of Aging Infrastructure

Hojung Choi, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, announced on August 14 that he would work to secure funding for an additional investment of 1.5 trillion won over the next five years to accelerate the replacement of aging water and sewage pipes, which are the main cause of the recent series of ground subsidence incidents.

Hojung Choi, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Photo by Yongjun Cho.

Chairperson Choi explained that he had proposed two amendments to strengthen underground safety management in Seoul, aiming to protect citizens from ground subsidence.

Chairperson Choi emphasized, "If we have to set priorities within a limited budget, the maintenance of basic public infrastructure should come first." He added, "If the fundamentals are not in place, merely decorating the surface is like building a castle on sand. Seoul should focus on solid fundamentals rather than appearances, and to avoid burdening future generations, we must promptly maintain aging facilities."

The proposed amendments are the "Partial Amendment to the Ordinance on the Establishment of the Seoul Metropolitan Waterworks Project" and the "Partial Amendment to the Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Seoul Metropolitan Disaster Management Fund." Seoul plans to renovate 2,800 kilometers of long-used water pipes by 2040. However, the medium-term fiscal plan for 2025-2029 reflects only about 55% of this target, with a projected funding shortfall of 1.356 trillion won. As for sewage pipes, out of a total of 10,866 kilometers, 6,029 kilometers are sections that have been in use for over 30 years.

Through these amendments, an additional 300 billion won per year, totaling 1.5 trillion won over five years, will be secured by 2030. The amendment to the Waterworks Project Ordinance will allow the Seoul Arisu Headquarters to receive support from the city's general budget for the next five years, specifying the transfer amount as "no less than 0.5% and no more than 1% of the previous year's ordinary tax settlement." This will enable an additional annual investment of 100 to 200 billion won.

In addition, the use of the Disaster Management Fund will be explicitly defined to include "maintenance of aging sewage pipes to prevent ground subsidence," and 40% to 70% of the fund's annual reserves will be mandatorily allocated to sewage pipe maintenance over the next five years. This will ensure a stable annual investment of approximately 100 billion won.

Chairperson Choi stated, "A city can only be advanced if its basic public infrastructure is strong," and added, "We will accelerate the prompt maintenance of aging water and sewage pipes through these ordinance amendments."

These proposed amendments are scheduled to be discussed at the 332nd regular session of the Seoul Metropolitan Council later this month. Previously, Chairperson Choi led the amendment of three ordinances to appoint underground safety experts to the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee, enabling underground safety to be considered from the urban planning stage.

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