Interview Guri City Councilman Kim Yong-hyun: "I will focus solely on Guri citizens and do my best until my term ends"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Guri City Councilman Kim Yong-hyun (Vice Chairman of the Smart Environment Committee of the Gyeonggi Province chapter of the People Power Party) has been having a busy time checking on various local issues scattered about as the year-end approaches.

During the "354th Guri City Council 2nd Regular Session," Councilman Kim Yong-hyun, who is visiting major project sites related to local issues, met exclusively to specifically discuss local issues including "GTX-B Galmaae Station stoppage," one of Guri City's most pressing concerns.

▲Regarding Galmaae Station GTX-B stoppage, one of Guri City's major issues, what do you mean by astronomical additional costs if the train does not stop at Galmaae Station?

- The GTX-B Galmaae Station stoppage issue goes beyond simply whether or not to install a station, but is a critical matter directly connected to residents' living environment as it intersects with the lives of Galmaae-dong residents and current Galmaae District 2 development. I believe a stronger response strategy is needed, particularly as the operator has recently delayed negotiations while demanding additional costs.

Additionally, since train noise reaches a maximum of 75dB and trains operate 433 times a day at average intervals of 2.6 minutes, stopping at Galmaae Station is an inevitable choice from an environmental perspective.

▲The "Guri City Noise, Vibration, and Dust Reduction Ordinance" that Councilman Kim created with this specific understanding of the problems?

- We have already established an ordinance that includes designating the Galmaae-dong area as a traffic noise and vibration management zone and preparing specific noise and vibration reduction design plans (deep-level construction, Gyeongchun Line noise barrier tunnels, etc.), so I have urged Guri City to proceed based on these grounds.

To explain specifically, if the Gyeongchun Line area in Galmaae-dong, Guri City is designated as a traffic noise and vibration management zone, the GTX-B private operator will incur astronomical additional costs for deep-level construction or a Gyeongchun Line noise barrier tunnel, and the only way to avoid this is to establish a station under the "Noise and Vibration Management Act."

▲What are the structural flaws in the Guri Station area mixed-use development project procurement guidelines?

- Some corporations that expressed interest in participating in past procurements had capital of only 1 million to 50 million won. In contrast, similar national procurement projects clearly stipulate strict requirements for business implementation capability, including construction industry registration, construction competency evaluation, housing construction track record, and credit rating, but this procurement had no qualification requirements whatsoever.

The Guri Station area procurement guidelines represent an exceptional case without even minimal safeguards. The contribution clause stipulated in Article 17 of the procurement guidelines is legally very weak, and since Guri City is not a contracting party, it has no legal standing to directly demand compliance with contributions. Additionally, the requirements for third-party contracts under civil law are not met, making it difficult to guarantee contribution compliance.

Moreover, the Daejang-dong preferential treatment controversy also began with the procurement guidelines, so guidelines with ambiguous standards could pose the same risks at any time.

​▲Recently, financial investment market overheating and consumption contraction are occurring simultaneously, causing sharp declines in small merchants' sales in the region?

- Since over 90% of all businesses in Guri City are composed of small merchants, if we do not respond immediately now, commercial district collapse could become a reality.

Due to short-term overheating in the financial market, households' cash-based consumption capacity is decreasing rapidly, and as a result, local commercial district sales have dropped from -3% to -9% compared to the previous year.

To overcome this crisis situation, it is urgent to △actively encourage group meetings and public institution meals and events within the region △provide temporary cashback support for group consumption amounts △operate "Our Neighborhood Shopping Days" △expand city-led events and activate preferential purchases of local products, etc.

In particular, the coming year-end and new year period is essentially the last golden opportunity to revitalize small merchants.

▲Guri Urban Development Corporation is receiving the Distribution Complex as a in-kind contribution, issuing approximately 900 billion won in corporate bonds, and plans to participate in Topyeong District 2 and E-commerce projects—what do you think about this plan?

- If ownership transfers to the urban development corporation through in-kind contribution, the Distribution Complex will be excluded from public property, and revenues such as rental fees and parking fees that previously went to the city will transfer to the urban development corporation's revenue, which could significantly damage city finances. Additionally, policy-implemented reductions and exemptions of various rental and parking fees could also be discontinued.

Furthermore, issues with charging rental fees at public facilities such as the Donggou-dong Administrative Welfare Center could arise, and concerns also exist regarding complete renegotiation of lease contracts with tenant companies such as Lotte Mart and increased tax burdens including comprehensive real estate taxes.

Moreover, since the Topyeong District 2 and E-commerce projects have not yet completed district designation and feasibility reviews, and the urban development corporation's project participation has not been confirmed, careful judgment is required regarding the timing and necessity of in-kind contributions. Urgent tasks include △demanding disclosure of agreements or grounds for the urban development corporation's participation in the relevant projects △presenting measures to address revenue decreases for the Distribution Complex and lease renegotiations △disclosing L-Mart's total outstanding payment amounts, collection results, and future collection plans, etc.

▲Finally, a word to the citizens?

- With seven months remaining in my term, while there have been many shortcomings, I have strived to do my best in everything I can do for Guri citizens. I will earnestly focus solely on Guri citizens and do my best until the end.