Gangnam-gu council calls for new district office, says delay 'no longer acceptable'

The question of building a new Gangnam-gu district office has finally come to a head at the Gangnam-gu Council.

The Gangnam-gu Council, led by Speaker Lee Jae-jin, adopted a resolution Wednesday at the second plenary session of the 338th extraordinary assembly, calling on the district to move swiftly on constructing a new office that would consolidate administrative, cultural and welfare functions under one roof.

The current Gangnam-gu district office was completed in 1975 as a Public Procurement Service warehouse and has deteriorated significantly over the past 50 years. The council said the building consumes a substantial budget each year for safety inspections and maintenance, making a fundamental solution necessary for both resident safety and fiscal efficiency.

The council also pointed to a growing mismatch between rising administrative demand and the building's spatial limitations, which make it difficult to provide adequate cultural, welfare and convenience facilities for residents. Several Gangnam-gu district office departments are scattered across separate locations — including the public health center and the urban management corporation — forcing residents to travel to multiple sites for basic administrative services.

During the eighth elected-term administration, the district expressed intent to build a new office on the Setaek site, but negotiations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government stalled and the plan did not move forward.

In response, the council's resolution called on the district to quickly select a site for the new building and draw up a concrete financing plan. It also urged the Seoul Metropolitan Government and relevant central government agencies to provide active administrative and institutional support to ensure the project proceeds smoothly.

Lee In-seon, chair of the Administrative Safety Committee, who read out the resolution, said constructing a new office that brings together administrative, cultural and welfare functions in one place "is a task that can no longer be put off" in order to proactively respond to future urban changes and promote the sustainable development and welfare of Gangnam-gu residents.

Lee and fellow council members unfurled a banner Wednesday reading, "Gangnam-gu District Mayor — immediately push forward with the new district office to relieve residents' inconvenience caused by the aging, scattered facilities!" reaffirming their determination to see the project through.