Lee Gwisoon, Gwangju City Council Member, Voices Concern Over City’s Lax Administration of SRF Project

Lee Gwisoon, member of Gwangju City Council, is speaking through an urgent current issue question at the 2nd plenary session of the 333rd extraordinary meeting on the 30th. Provided by Gwangju City Council

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On June 30, Lee Gwisoon, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangsan-gu 4), strongly criticized the accountability of the decision-making process and the potential financial burden on citizens regarding Cheongjeong Bitgoeul, the operator of the Gwangju SRF production facility, filing a damages claim worth several hundred billion won against Gwangju City. She delivered her remarks through an urgent current issue question at the 2nd plenary session of the 333rd extraordinary meeting.

Lee stated, "Despite the fact that several hundred billion won of citizens' tax money is at stake, the city has proceeded with this matter through a closed arbitration process without any public discussion with the city council or citizens," and criticized, "This is a serious violation of the principles of democratic oversight and responsible administration."

In response, Jung Hyun-yoon, Director of the Climate and Environment Bureau, explained, "Arbitration is a dispute resolution procedure stipulated in the agreement, and it was initiated at the request of Cheongjeong Bitgoeul after negotiations broke down." He added, "Recently, we have officially requested to terminate the arbitration and convert it to litigation."

Lee pointed out the legitimacy of the process in which Gwangju City accepted arbitration instead of litigation, as well as the fact that the city did not clearly establish in advance the criteria and scope for calculating damages (such as damage items and periods) during the arbitration agreement process. She said, "The lack of administrative strategy and incompetence could ultimately result in citizens bearing a financial burden of several hundred billion won."

Mayor Kang Gijung stated, "At the time arbitration was accepted, I was only briefed, and the person with final approval authority was the then-deputy mayor," and added, "We believe the claimed amount is excessive, and if a final ruling is issued, we will seek the city council's approval and respond in a way that minimizes the burden on citizens."

Lee further emphasized, "Gwangju City's debt has already exceeded 2 trillion won, and its debt ratio is the worst among all metropolitan and special cities nationwide," and urged, "To avoid being labeled as the ultimate example of administrative incompetence, the city must immediately establish an arbitration response strategy and provide a responsible explanation."

She also warned, "This issue is not simply an administrative procedure matter; it is serious because a single poor administrative decision could lead to a financial burden of several hundred billion won for citizens," and added, "The city council will pursue the truth to the end and, if necessary, hold those responsible accountable."

In relation to this, Gwangju City issued a press release stating, "We have proposed to terminate the ongoing arbitration procedure and resolve the dispute through court proceedings, and we are awaiting a response," and clarified, "We are acutely aware of the current situation and are seeking response measures with the highest priority on protecting citizens' interests."

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