The city of Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province has been renovating Jinyoung Stadium 4 km away from Bongha Village where President Roh Moo-hyun will live after retirement, with W4 billion in a special subsidy from the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs. (US$1=W947). Repair work began last August and will be finished in June this year. Artificial turf will be laid for this soccer stadium, which will have a seating capacity of about 6,000 spectators.
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Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province where President Roh Moo-hyun will live after retirement. Members of a supporters' group begin hanging yellow balloons in the village on Sunday to welcome him home.
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All told, a total W46 billion of taxpayers¡¯ money will be spent on Bongha Village, where a residence for Roh and his family is being built, and its vicinity. The estimated expenses will be W4 billion for the repair of Jinyoung Stadium, W25.5 billion for the construction of a culture center with three floors and a basement with a total floor space of 6,557 sq. m 3 km from Bongha, W7.5 billion for the repair of Roh's birthplace in the village and landscaping at the village, W3 billion for a recreational forest in nearby Mt. Bonghwa, and W6 billion for the dredging of the Hwapo Stream.
But criticism is growing that far more tax money is being spent on Bongha Village and its vicinity than on other former presidents' birthplaces. Each of the birthplaces of former presidents Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam, Chun Doo-hwan and Park Chung-hee is being managed only with W7 to 8 million donated by the local municipality every year. Former president Roh Tae-woo's birthplace house has fallen into disrepair.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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