Daegu’s new campsite costing 7 billion turns out to be illegal

An access control line is set up at the entrance of Haenum-e Campground in Ansan, Nam-gu, Daegu on the 17th.

A campsite, which was built by Daegu's Nam-gu, with an investment of some 7 billion won, has not opened more than a year after its completion due to a controversy over illegal construction. This has led to criticism that the budget was wasted due to “amateur administration.”

On May 22, the access road of the "Apsan Sunset Campsite" in Nam-gu, Daegu, was posted with a sign stating that outsiders were prohibited from entering, and an access control line was also installed between nearby trees. A small iron gate, which allows passengers to enter and exit, was firmly locked. When asked when the campsite would reopen, the staff inside bluntly replied, "I don't know."

Nam-gu announced a plan to create an urban camping site in August 2018. It was expected to boost tourism and generate tax revenue. At the time, there was a boom in the construction of campgrounds by local governments and Nam-gu's plan was to utilize the natural environment of Apsan Mountain.

Since then, 18 camping sites, including 5 pension-type, 9 Ger-type, and 4 dome-type, and parking lots, a management building, and restrooms have been built in the campground (5721㎡). Nam-gu invested 7.78 billion won, including compensation costs. Construction began in 2021 and was completed on May 10 last year.

However, in July of that year, a civic group in Daegu requested a public interest audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection, pointing out suspected violations of building codes. The group raised suspicions about the size of the project cost, the preliminary deliberation process, and the selection of the construction company.

The audit is to determine whether the campground violated the Tourism Promotion Act. The Board of Audit and Inspection conducted an audit for about three months last year, and the results have not been announced.

The current Tourism Promotion Act stipulates that the total floor area of buildings in a campground must not exceed 300 square meters and cannot exceed 10 percent of the total area of the campground. However, the total floor area of the buildings in the campground is 730 square meters, including 530 square meters for the camping sites, 167 square meters for the management building, and 33 square meters for the restrooms, which is more than double the regulation. This is 12.7 percent of the total area of the campground, exceeding the standard.

Nam-gu explained that it had taken advice about construction documents and design from outside experts. While the Parks and Greenery Department, the department in charge of the project, believes that the 18 campgrounds are simply “facilities” and not buildings, the Architecture Department, which is in charge of building permits, considers them to be “buildings.”

An official from the Nam-gu’s Parks and Greenery Department said, "We reviewed the relevant parts of the project (such as the nature of the facilities) and proceeded with the project based on our judgment," adding, "However, the interpretation of the law seems to have been different from that of the Architectural Department."

For the first year after its completion, a budget of between 2.4 million won to 2.5 million won per month was used for electricity and security expenses. From September to November last year, it was confirmed that it spent more than 45 million won, including 16 million won in labor costs for fixed-term workers. As the opening is delayed, additional spending is inevitable.

Depending on the audit results, there is a high possibility that additional budget will be spent on maintenance and replacement of the facilities. The Nam-gu Council plans to claim the right to indemnity to the executive branch. "We should have taken enough time to do the business by carefully considering the stances of the departments, expert opinions, and the related laws and regulations," adding, “We will hold the district office accountable for the administration that was conducted like an amateur." A Nam-gu official said, "We expect the audit results to come out soon," and added, "If necessary, we will open the campground after making repairs if necessary."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.