Park Kwan-yeol, the mayor of Gwangju, reiterated on August 6 that "the Yongin semiconductor water supply project cannot proceed at the expense of Gwangju citizens," emphasizing his commitment to protecting citizen rights.
On this day, Mayor Park confirmed that the city’s official policy direction was not adequately reflected in discussions with relevant agencies during the process of promoting the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex's integrated water supply project. As a result, he implemented strict measures to establish public service discipline.
Since the launch of the 9th elected term, Mayor Park has consistently stated that the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex's integrated water supply project should not proceed on the premise of unilateral sacrifice by Gwangju citizens.
In particular, through a one-person protest in front of Samsung Electronics and media interviews, he has urged the government and Samsung Electronics to develop regional coexistence measures, continuously stressing that "projects that only impose sacrifices on Gwangju cannot be accepted."
In response, Mayor Park has been operating a special task force for the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex's integrated water supply response and has issued special directives to ensure that the mayor's policy direction and the city’s official stance are reflected in all relevant permits and agency discussions.
However, recent discussions with agencies such as the Han River Basin Environmental Office and Gyeonggi Province revealed that this policy stance was not sufficiently reflected, prompting Mayor Park to take strict action to uphold public service discipline.
Considering that this is the first instance of this type and evaluating the intent, circumstances, and other factors, Mayor Park opted for a strict warning rather than disciplinary action, stating that he would hold individuals accountable according to relevant regulations if similar incidents occur in the future.
The local community has expressed consensus that "the mayor's policies and the city’s official stance must be consistently implemented in administrative processes."
Given that the Yongin semiconductor integrated water supply project directly impacts Gwangju's environment and citizens' lives, there are ongoing calls to prioritize citizen rights throughout the entire administrative process.
Additionally, there are reactions indicating that "this strict measure has reaffirmed the importance of policy consistency and accountable administration within the public service," with hopes that Gwangju's position will be more clearly reflected in future discussions with the government and relevant agencies.
Meanwhile, Mayor Park Kwan-yeol stated, "Gwangju's official stance and policy direction must be consistently reflected in all administrative processes," adding that he will strengthen internal reporting systems and coordination procedures with relevant agencies to protect citizen rights and the future of the region.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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