Former Monopoly Agency Building to Be Demolished... Agreement Reached to Remove Abandoned Office by September

The former Monopoly Agency building (currently Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation) will be demolished through mediation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

Government Sejong Complex Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

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On April 15, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, chaired by Chairman Jeong Il-Yeon, held an on-site mediation meeting at the Gwangyang-eup Community Center in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do, and proposed a plan to demolish the former Monopoly Agency building and use the remaining land for public purposes benefiting residents.

The government office, constructed and used as a Monopoly Agency building in 1972, has a total floor area of 445.95 square meters and consists of a two-story office building and a single-story official residence. This building was decommissioned in 1997 and transferred to Korea Asset Management Corporation. For a certain period, part of the building was rented out for residential use, but it has been left vacant since 2014.

As a result, residents of Gwangyang-eup, Gwangyang City, repeatedly requested its demolition, describing the abandoned office as an eyesore. However, demolition did not proceed due to reasons such as property management. In February, 2,359 residents filed a collective civil complaint with the commission, citing the inconvenience caused by unmanaged trees and weeds on the former office site.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission conducted several on-site investigations and countermeasure meetings, coordinating opinions on the need for demolition and the utilization of the land after demolition. As a result, Korea Asset Management Corporation agreed to demolish the abandoned office building by September 30. Until the site is sold, the Gwangyang-eup Village Heads Association will be permitted to use the remaining land for community-friendly purposes. The city of Gwangyang will cooperate with the demolition, be responsible for the site’s maintenance and management until it is sold, and has agreed to seek ways to purchase the land as a priority so it can be used for public purposes such as a park for residents in the future.

Chairman Jeong Il-Yeon of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission stated, "With the demolition of the abandoned office, which has been a longstanding wish of the residents, the living environment will be improved and concerns regarding student safety will also be resolved. I hope that the relevant agencies will actively implement the mediation plan so that the remaining land after demolition can be used for public purposes benefiting the residents."

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