A Seoul city councilor has called on the metropolitan government to immediately launch an audit into how 7 billion won ($5.1 million) in redevelopment association funds was spent on compensating and relocating a shrine known as Agissidang in Seongdong District's Haengdang District 7 redevelopment project.
Hwang Cheol-gyu, who represents Seongdong 4 for the People Power Party and chairs the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, made the demand during a five-minute open remarks session at a plenary meeting of the 339th extraordinary session on the 27th.
According to Hwang, the Agissidang shrine, which stood on state-owned land in Haengdang District 7, was an unauthorized wooden structure appraised at about 30 million won. Yet roughly 7 billion won in association members' assets went into the project, including 2.5 billion won in a negotiated purchase and 4.8 billion won in construction costs for a new building.
"It is hard to accept that the Seoul Metropolitan Government's audit commission opened an audit into the issue of donated public daycare centers while excluding the Agissidang case on the grounds that it was a private negotiation," Hwang said. "Administrative records exist showing that the Seongdong District Office was continuously involved in the project implementation approval, the local heritage review, the building permit and the donation negotiations."
The district office did notify the association of matters concerning ownership and operating rights after the shrine's relocation, required the association to complete negotiations with Agissidang before the project implementation approval, and reviewed the design plan through its local heritage protection committee and requested changes.
Because administrative records confirm that the district office was involved in the relocation process, Hwang argues, close examination is needed of whether the matter can be treated simply as a private negotiation between the association and the shrine.
Documents presented by Hwang show that the association pursued the relocation and reconstruction of the shrine on the premise of negotiations with the district office and a donation arrangement, and completed the new building at a cost of about 4.8 billion won. The situation reversed in March 2025, however, just four months before residents were due to move in, when the district office abruptly said the donation arrangement was not possible.
As a result, ownership and management arrangements remain unresolved, and the resulting financial damage and inconvenience are being passed on to residents of the 1,000 households in the complex.
"When 7 billion won in association assets is spent, it goes without saying that we must examine whether the Seongdong District Office's role and administrative handling were appropriate," Hwang said. "Immediately review the entire process of the Haengdang District 7 Agissidang case and launch a full audit," he urged the city government.
Hwang also pointed to problems revealed in the district office's handling of the Haengdang District 7 redevelopment, stressing that the current oversight system should be examined before expanding the authority of heads of basic local governments over redevelopment and reconstruction projects. He said he opposes the expansion of such authority for redevelopment and reconstruction projects of 500 households or fewer, which the ruling party and the government are currently pursuing.
"I will get to the bottom of this matter until a result emerges that aggrieved Seongdong residents and Seoul citizens can accept, and I will correct what has gone wrong," Hwang said.
