[비즈한국] Civic groups have called for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the 'Nodeul Global Art Island' project promoted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. On the 26th, the Nodeulseom Joint Action, composed of civic groups such as the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, held a press conference in front of the Blue House fountain, demanding government oversight of the Nodeulseom project.
On January 26, the Nodeulseom Joint Action, a coalition of civic groups including the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, the Cultural Action, and the Sishihan Research Institute, called for the 'suspension of the Nodeul Global Art Island project.' This follows revelations from Biz Hankook reporting that the Seoul Metropolitan Government had understated the total project cost and other issues in the project's development process (Related article: [Exclusive] Seoul Metropolitan Government claimed Nodeulseom total project cost was 370 billion won... turns out it was 440 billion won).
At the press conference, the Nodeulseom Joint Action demanded the following: the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport must immediately stop attempts to neutralize security facilities and relax safety regulations for the redevelopment of Nodeulseom; the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Board of Audit and Inspection should immediately conduct a special inspection into suspicions of Seoul's budget splitting tactics and evasion of local investment reviews; the Ministry of Environment should strictly re-evaluate the indiscriminate waterfront development project that harms the ecological value of the Han River, a national river; and the Blue House must put an end to inter-departmental selfishness and negligence, and exercise pan-governmental control to curb Seoul's unlawful administration.
Kim Hye-jeong, Chief Headquarters Director of the 'Oh Se-hoon Out Joint Action', criticized Mayor Oh Se-hoon for cutting back on public contributions while expanding private development profits, stating, "The island, which was a resting place for citizens, has been sealed off with iron gates. This is not administration, but an abuse of power." She pointed out, "The project cost initially presented by Seoul was 370 billion won, but it exceeded 440 billion won after the omission of land compensation costs was revealed. There is a risk that the cost could balloon to 1 trillion won due to the 'non-standard architecture.' The administration, which should be protecting safety, is instead increasing risks."
Kim Jae-sang, Secretary-General of the Cultural Action, demanded, "The question of how to make Seoul—a place where citizens live and work—a safer space has disappeared, replaced by a focus solely on how the city will look. Despite overlapping, complex issues such as budget splitting, safety issues related to helicopter operations, air defense site problems, and the destruction of narrow-mouthed toad habitats, the project is being pushed in a bulldozer-like fashion. The development project must be halted immediately, and the accumulated issues must be transparently disclosed."
They also urged government attention. Kim Sang-chul, co-director of the Sishihan Research Institute, remarked, "Seoul's reckless behavior is rooted in the government's irresponsibility. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety should examine whether large-scale projects by local governments, including issues of total project costs, meet legal requirements. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) project, which proceeded during Mayor Oh Se-hoon's previous term, has a precedent where construction costs alone inflated fivefold. It seems highly likely that similar problems will emerge at Nodeulseom."
Choi Young, head of the Eco-City Team at the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, stated, "The core of the Nodeul Global Art project is ultimately building an aerial garden. Nodeulseom is divided into east and west sections; the west island has cultural and art spaces, while the east island has a habitat for the endangered narrow-mouthed toad, a helipad, and an air defense position. If an aerial garden cluster is placed in a space packed with national facilities, problems are bound to arise." He added, "Like the Han River Bus case, many citizens are continuously becoming disappointed with Seoul's administration. It was also revealed that land compensation costs were omitted from the total project cost. We now request the central government to intervene and responsibly reconsider the sustainability of the Han River."
The Nodeulseom Joint Action also demanded the government's stance on the procedural legitimacy, safety issues, and maintenance costs regarding the Nodeulseom project. After the press conference, they submitted a 'Civil Society Opinion Paper on the Nodeul Global Art Island Project' to the Blue House.
On January 20, the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement issued a statement regarding the Nodeulseom project, criticizing it by saying, "Nodeulseom is a space that was completed just six years ago in 2019 at a cost of 49 billion won following public discussion. Is it really reasonable to spend hundreds of billions of won to tear it all up?" They demanded monitoring from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Environment, and the Board of Audit and Inspection.
Currently, the Nodeulseom Joint Action is collecting signatures from civic groups for a public interest audit request. The intention is to ask the Board of Audit and Inspection to investigate the procedural legitimacy of Seoul's Nodeulseom project. A public interest audit request to the Board of Audit and Inspection can be made if requirements are met, such as the consent of 300 or more citizens aged 18 or older or requests from civic groups. An official from the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement stated, "We plan to request a public interest audit to determine if there was any illegal or unfair administrative processing in the process of promoting the Nodeul Global Art Island project."