The Seoul Metropolitan Government is arguing that it is illegal to build two additional buildings in addition to the existing Babfor building, as it is illegal to build a building on municipal land. However, Pastor Choi stated that the illegal extension was not true and that he would not discuss it with the Seoul Metropolitan Government until the accusation was withdrawn. Reporter Lim Min-jung. While the ‘Babfor Sharing Movement (Babfor)’, a free meal service project in the Cheongnyangni Station area for 34 years, is on the verge of being suspended due to urban redevelopment, Rev. Il-do Choi of the Dail Welfare Foundation and Seoul City Hall are negotiating to ‘continue the activity’.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is in a position to seek permission to use municipal land for business expansion, such as extension, through procedures such as the Public Property Review Committee if Pastor Choi donates the ‘Babfor’ facility. On the other hand, Pastor Choi expressed his discomfort in relation to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s previous complaint to the police on charges of ‘unlicensed construction’ and puts the ‘withdrawal of the accusation’ as a prerequisite.
It was confirmed that a Seoul official visited Pastor Choi on the 17th, explained the circumstances of the accusation, and suggested discussions to rectify the situation.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is of the opinion that it is illegal to build two additional buildings in addition to the existing ‘Babfor’ building, as it is illegal to erect a building on municipal land. However, Pastor Choi countered that the ‘illegal extension’ was not true and that it was a case previously approved by the Dongdaemun-gu Office. In a phone call with CBS Nocut News, Pastor Choi expressed a firm stance that “I will not meet until the Seoul Metropolitan Government makes a public apology.”
Nevertheless, the city of Seoul plans to pursue a meeting between Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Pastor Choi within this week.
As the controversy continued, there was a long line to receive food under Ssanggul Bridge near Cheongnyangni Station, where ‘Babfor’ operates.
A 64-year-old aunt who has been using ‘Babfor’ for 10 years said, “I heard the accusation on the news. What should I do if Babfor suddenly disappears after 30 years of service? I can’t go far because I’m sick.” Then, “I receive this, I eat lunch and dinner,” he said, “Where are all these people going? A thousand people come every day.”
In response, Pastor Choi held a press conference at Dail Angel Hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, and criticized, “The city of Seoul does not care for the poorest of our time.” Then, he complained, “Mayor Oh lost his mayor position because he opposes free meals. At that time, it was a children’s lunch box, but now he will lose his mayor position by stealing an elderly person’s rice bowl.”
Pastor Choi posted on his SNS on the 16th, saying, “The illegal extension work is not true at all.” “The mayor of Dongdaemun-gu considers ‘Babfor’ to be the pride of Dongdaemun-gu and has been working with the sharing movement. Remodeling after the start of construction They helped build the building, not the bay,” he claimed.
Currently, ‘Babfor’ is building a three-story steel structure on both the left and right sides of the existing facility. Babfor said that once the extension is completed, the building on the left will be used as a food warehouse, and the building on the right will be used as a Babfor facility for the elderly without assistance and as a prevention center for those in crisis of loneliness.
However, since the area around Cheongnyangni Station is a redevelopment area, it is unknown whether local residents’ complaints and antipathy towards ‘Babfor’, which are called ‘an obstacle to urban redevelopment’, will subside even after consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The place where ‘Babfor’ is carrying out the extension work is surrounded by redevelopment districts such as Jeonnong District 12, Cheongnyangni District 4, and Jeonnong District, and is effectively surrounded by the redevelopment area.
yunhap newsAt a press conference, Pastor Choi said, “A resident said, “Don’t you know that land prices have risen due to the redevelopment of Cheongnyangni? Our apartment prices are set cheaper than neighboring apartments of the same square footage.” said bitterly.
Earlier, on the 10th of last month, the city of Seoul filed a complaint with the Dongdaemun Police Station against the CEO of the Dail Welfare Foundation (Dail Community) for violating the building law.
An official from Seoul said, “Once ‘Babfor’ has documents related to the collection of donations, the contents will be identified and submitted to the Public Property Deliberation Committee. We are actively reviewing possible measures,” he said.
