Residences Still in Use Despite Pledge

In 1995, elected governors or chairs of local autonomies promised to return their official residences to the civilians, saying that the official residences are remaining from the Japanese colonial rule. Ten years have passed, but many of the official residences are still in use unlike what was promised.

The findings by this paper reveal that out of the 16 provincial governors who were elected at the May 31 local elections, eight intend to continue using the official residences. Some of them even are even rebuilding or repairing the residences at high costs.

“I like the official residence”-

The elected provincial governor of Chungnam Province Lee Wan-gu will continue using the official residence (1,025 pyeong wide) in Daeheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon, but will keep the furniture and supplies that the former provincial governor Shim Dae-pyung left. Chungnam Province is to spend 100 million won repairing the official residence together with residences for vice-governors of the administration and political affairs, saying that they’re too old.

The elected provincial governor of Chungbuk Province Jeong Wu-taek said, “I’ll have to consider public opinion and decide how to use the building, but for now I’ll move in.”

The official residence of the Chungbuk governor in Daeseong-dong, Seongdang-gu, Cheongju City is 2,759 pyeong with the total area of the building being 221 pyeong, and is now managed by four security policemen.

Jeonnam Province decided to move the official residence to Samhyang, Muan, in November last year and is now constructing a wooden official residence with an octagonal roof right behind the government building. 1.132 billion won is being spent for this.

They plan to build a wooden “business center” building in the Korean traditional style nearby with the budget of 1.5 billion won and use it as a guesthouse.

Kim Mun-su, Gyeonggi provincial governor, Kim Gwan-yong, Gyeongbuk provincial governor, Kim Jin-seon, Gangwon provincial governor, and Park Gwang-tae, Gwangju mayor will continue using the official residences.

“For the citizens”-

The former Ulsan mayor Shim Wan-gu turned the official residence into an educare information center in October 1995. Incheon mayor Choi Gi-seon turned it into a local history museum in October 2001, and Daejeon mayor Yeom Hong-cheol turned it into a nursery center in July 2002.

The elected mayor of Ulsan, Park Maeng-wu, and of Daejeon, Park Seong-hyo, will not use the official residences the way their precedents didn’t.

Controversy over the use of the official residences-

The official residence of the Gyeongnam provincial governor in Yongho-dong, Changwon (area 2,990 pyeong) has been left empty since December 2003 when the former governor Kim Hyeok-gyu resigned, because Kim Tae-ho, who was newly elected in a by-election in 2004, decided not to use it. Gyeongnam Province has not come up with a good way to make use of the official residence of which the annual management budget amounts to 250 million won.

Some people argue that the place can be used to welcome honored guests in a noble way. An assemblyman of Gyeongnam Province said, “If the building is used for inviting foreign CEOs to discuss the inducement of investments, it will be for good for the citizens.”

Some people point out that an official residence is a waste when financial independence is not strong, and can be misused for dark trades. Actually the official residences are targets of inspections by the assessing organ.

Kang Hyeong-gi, Professor of Autonomy Administration at Chungbuk University, says, “The official residences are the remainders of the Japanese colonial rule, but have long disappeared in Japan. Some of them are being rented to enterprises for extra budget money.”