Suncheon City Hall's open-door gesture turns into a protest parking lot

Removal of large planters from city hall entrance invites vehicle sit-in protests — officials caught between competing pressures

The front entrance of Suncheon City Hall has been taken over by vehicle sit-in protests and illegal parking by petitioners, undermining the original intent of opening up the civic building's grounds. /Park Dae-sung

After Suncheon Mayor Son Hun-mo removed 15 large planters that had blocked the front of city hall, the cleared space has become a regular staging ground for vehicle protest sit-ins by petitioners.

Son relocated the 15 multipurpose planters recently, calling them a prime example of his predecessor Noh Gwan-gyu's failure to communicate with residents. The planters had been installed in front of the main entrance under the previous administration.

According to the city, a resident identified only as A, believed to be a landowner in the Jorye-dong neighborhood, parked a one-ton truck in front of the main entrance on Wednesday and then disappeared.

The resident filed complaints with the city's environmental management division over an unlicensed asbestos-slate structure left abandoned on the property, and separately demanded that the building permit division crack down on illegal excavation by a contractor building a multi-unit rental housing complex in Jorye-dong.

A before-and-after comparison shows the large planters installed at the main entrance of Suncheon City Hall and their removal after Mayor Son Hun-mo took office. [Provided by Suncheon City]

Resident A had filed a complaint with the city demanding administrative action against the contractor, citing illegal excavation of a nearby urban neighborhood park and alleged violations of property rights during construction.

Now into its second day, the illegally parked truck is plastered with protest banners on all four sides. A notice on the windshield reads, "I apologize, but I am staging a one-person protest" — yet the owner has not appeared at the scene.

Despite the entrance area deteriorating into a spot for vehicle sit-ins and illegal parking by petitioners, the city hall facilities management team and security guards have not intervened, a lapse that has added to the disorder.

A city official said the resident's claims were one-sided and that the city planned to consult with the relevant departments and consider measures including towing the vehicle.

parkds@heraldcorp.com