Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Gwanghwamun Square expansion at crossroads
This photo shows Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on April 14. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
The ongoing facelift of Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul is facing a go or no-go moment, with the new Seoul mayor badly wanting to scrap the expansion plan.
However, some claim that it is too late to cancel it, after a large amount of money has already been spent on the project.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon /Yonhap
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Friday, Oh has ordered related departments to review the current restructuring project, which involves expanding the size of the square 3.7 times. The project was launched by the former late Mayor Park Won-soon, who killed himself last year after facing sexual harassment allegations.
The local government plans to gather public opinions on whether to continue construction, which began in November last year, and how to re-create the plaza. Oh is expected to make a decision on the project after reviewing residents' responses.
The construction project is to expand Gwanghwamun Square by widen the road in front of the U.S. Embassy on the east side of the square, while reshaping the west road into a pedestrian path at a cost of about 80 billion won ($71.5 million). The crux of the project is to remake the one-way, six-lane road on the west side of Gwanghwamun Square into an extension of the square, exclusively for pedestrians, and to leave only the road on the east side of the square.
From the onset, the project has faced opposition over possible traffic congestion due to the reduction of lanes, as the current 12-lane road will be reduced to seven. Starting in March, the west lane was closed, and traffic congestion increased as only the east road was used.
Construction under way at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul in this March 8 photo. Yonhap
Originally, the plan was to start expanding the square by next month, but the possibility of a delay has increased after Oh ordered the review. Although work was not suspended immediately, it is expected to slow down until the results of the review come out and Oh makes a final decision.
Instead of abandoning the project, there is now the possibility that it will be revised, as over 20 billion won has already be spent. According to a Seoul City official, 31 percent of the work has already been completed, and about 25 billion won has been used.
The fact that the Seoul Metropolitan Council, where the majority of the members belong to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is expected to oppose halting the project, is another reason for the city government to revise, rather than completely abandon, the plan.
Currently, Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Kim In-ho, and other members belonging to the DPK, is insisting that the work continue because a large part of the budget has already been spent, and if it is suspended, additional money for restoration will have to be spent.
Some citizens also say that the work should be completed as planned.
“The move was already controversial, so it took a lot of discussions with residents and experts to reach an agreement. If it has to be scrapped, the reasons for that should be sufficiently logical and fully deliberated,” said Ahn Jung-yoon, a 39-year-old office worker in Seoul.
Several civic groups, including the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, which filed a lawsuit in December last year to stop the project, released a joint statement, Wednesday, still opposed to the work.
“It has already been a week after the by-election, and the construction of Gwanghwamun Square has not been stopped,” the civic groups said in the statement.
“Mayor Oh must immediately fulfill the promise he made during his campaign. The restructuring work should be stopped and the public discussion schedule should be disclosed.”
Yoon Eun-joo, executive secretary of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, said, “The responsibility for the 25 billion won that has been wasted falls on the Seoul Metropolitan Council and former Acting Mayor Seo Jung-hyup, while Mayor Oh should have no reason to be concerned.”
“If we stop the project now, the rest of the money can be used for policies to overcome the current COVID-19 pandemic, so we believe that Oh should stop the project.”