Jinju City Council Intensely Questions Budget for Eastern Municipal Library and Lee Sanggeun International Music Festival

On December 2, the Jinju City Council Budget and Accounts Special Committee conducted an intensive inquiry with Jinju City during the review of this year's 3rd supplementary budget proposal, focusing on the delayed construction of the Eastern Municipal Library and the complete budget cut for the Lee Sanggeun International Music Festival.

First, Committee Member Kang Jincheol pointed out that the budget for the Eastern Municipal Library construction project had surged from the initially planned 7.8 billion won to 24.5 billion won. He attributed this to several factors: omissions of essential equipment and processes during the design phase, delays in selecting the supervision team after the groundbreaking, and procedural issues in contract termination with the Public Procurement Service. He criticized these as stemming from the city's inadequate planning and management.

Furthermore, although the city terminated its contract with the construction company in October and was in the process of selecting a new contractor, the original construction company filed for a provisional injunction to suspend the contract termination. As the legal dispute unfolds, losses due to project delays are expected to snowball.

Photo of Jinju City Council Budget and Accounts Special Committee Reviewing the 3rd Supplementary Budget Proposal

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Committee Member Kang stated, "It is concerning that Jinju City frequently engages in legal disputes with private entities," adding, "Resuming construction before the court's decision would be a reckless move that could lead to additional lawsuits, further delays, and budget waste."

Additionally, Choi Minkook, Chair of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee, strongly urged the city to clearly identify the issues and responsibilities in the legal dispute and to ensure that the project proceeds only after thoroughly considering the protection of subcontractors.

Meanwhile, concerns were also raised regarding the complete budget cut for the Lee Sanggeun International Music Festival, which has not been held for two consecutive years.

Committee Member Yang Haeyoung expressed concern to Jinju City, which had submitted a proposal to cut the entire 200 million won budget for the Lee Sanggeun International Music Festival, Competition, Academic Conference, and Children's Song Contest.

Yang stated, "It is highly undesirable that Jinju's representative music festival, which has continued since 2008, cannot be held due to issues such as inadequate organizational restructuring." He urged the city to promptly reorganize by forming a nationwide expert committee and establishing a mid- to long-term roadmap for the development of the international music festival, in line with the musical stature of Lee Sanggeun.

The Special Committee on Budget and Accounts repeatedly emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of the planning, execution, and evaluation processes for both projects, stressing that they are core cultural and artistic infrastructure initiatives essential for restoring public trust and enhancing the city's dignity.

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