Gwangju City Council Chair Hwang Sun-hee on October 14 opposed the relocation of the Gwangju Horse Racing Park and the plan to supply 9,800 housing units in the city, urging the government to withdraw the proposals.
On that day, Hwang held a one-person protest in front of the fountain square near the Blue House, expressing her opposition to the government's housing supply policy, which she claimed was being pushed without sufficient consultation with the community.
Hwang emphasized, "Through this protest, we must stop the unilateral implementation of policies that do not consider citizen consent and local conditions, and the opinions of Gwangju citizens must be reflected in the policy-making process."
She pointed out that the relocation of the horse racing park and the large-scale housing supply directly impact the urban conditions and lives of citizens in Gwangju, stressing the need for the government to engage in thorough discussions with the community.
Hwang stated that policies based on the sacrifice of citizens are unacceptable.
Previously, the Gwangju City Council adopted a resolution during its 295th extraordinary session, calling for the withdrawal of the housing supply plan for the Gwangju Horse Racing Park and the National Defense Security Agency site.
This one-person protest was conducted to reaffirm the council's opposition and to directly convey citizens' concerns to the government.
Hwang declared, "It is absolutely unjustifiable to unilaterally push forward with the relocation of the horse racing park and the housing supply plan while ignoring the will of Gwangju citizens," adding, "Gwangju is not a place where the government can impose unilateral policies whenever it needs to."
She further stated, "I firmly oppose the implementation of policies without citizen consent, and the government must retract these plans immediately," asserting that the city council will not tolerate situations where the will of the citizens is disregarded.
Hwang also indicated that if the government continues to ignore the voices of Gwangju citizens, she would pursue strong responses accordingly.
Meanwhile, the Gwangju City Council plans to closely monitor the progress of the horse racing park relocation and housing supply plans and will continue to demand the government retract these plans to protect citizen rights and the future of Gwangju.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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