Only 0.3% of Gwangju Buildings Are Barrier-Free... An Inclusive City in Name Only

Only 486 Buildings Have Received BF Certification
No Ordinance Revision or Public Disclosure for 10 Years
Jung Daeun: "Support Needed to Encourage Private Sector Participation"

Although Gwangju City promotes itself as a "disability-friendly city" and an "age-friendly city," only 0.3% of buildings have received the "Barrier-Free (BF)" certification, which ensures an obstacle-free living environment for people with disabilities, the elderly, and other mobility-impaired individuals.

Jung Daeun, Gwangju City Council Member.

On November 4, Jung Daeun, a Gwangju City Council Member, pointed out during an administrative audit of the Welfare and Health Bureau at the City Council's Environment and Welfare Committee that, "While Gwangju City is pursuing a 'disability-friendly city' and an 'age-friendly city,' in reality, only 486 out of a total of 143,595 buildings have obtained BF certification, accounting for just 0.3%."

According to the Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute, there are only 444 public and 42 private BF-certified buildings in Gwangju. Of these, only eight have received the highest "S grade" certification.

Financial support is also insufficient. Over the past five years, Gwangju City’s budget for BF-certified buildings was limited to 1.68 billion won (including 504 million won from the city budget) for a comprehensive survey of facilities for people with disabilities and 110 million won to support the installation of portable ramps at 70 welfare facilities for people with disabilities, as of 2023.

The "Ordinance on the Promotion of Barrier-Free Certification," enacted in 2014, has never been revised. As a result, even though the validity period for certification was extended to 10 years under higher-level laws, the ordinance still contains a "5-year re-certification" clause. The ordinance also requires that certification status be disclosed on the city’s website at least once a year, but in practice, such posts or public disclosures are difficult to find.

Jung Daeun emphasized, "Although Gwangju City claims to be a disability- and age-friendly city, accessibility in daily living spaces remains insufficient. There is a need for practical support policies that can encourage private sector participation, such as BF design consulting from the urban planning stage and partial subsidies for certification costs."

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