Students and parents are worried about the large-scale construction scheduled for just one wall at Hangang Elementary School in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Right next to Hangangcho, a residential complex with a scale of 6 stories below ground and 33 stories above the ground will be built.
A temporary fence for construction sites installed from last year is attached directly to the school fence.
The distance between the school building and the construction site is less than 5 meters.
Parent A of Hangang Elementary School said, "Last year, when the existing building was demolished, the child said that the school TV was shaking. I am concerned about the safety of the children,” he said.
In the vicinity of Hangangcho, there are three more construction sites in addition to the residential/commercial complex construction site right next door.
If you cross one road, there is an officetel construction site to be completed in October, a large apartment complex construction site to be completed in 2024, and a construction site to be completed in 2025 behind an alley.
If the construction of the residential/commercial complex starts right next door, the lower grade students in Hangang Elementary School will have to live surrounded by the construction site until they graduate.
A said, "Low-grade students entering this year or next year have to live around the construction site throughout elementary school for a long time.
Yongsan-gu Office and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education are holding back their responsibilities.
According to the 'Act on the Protection of the Educational Environment', if you want to build a high-rise building with more than 21 stories near a school, you must undergo an educational environment evaluation review from the Office of Education.
The educational environment evaluation reviews the impact on the overall educational environment, including school environment and student safety, during the construction process.
An official from the Seoul Central Office of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, who are in charge of the educational environment evaluation, is of the view that the location of the construction site is under the jurisdiction of the ward office.
An official from the Seoul Central Office of Education said, "It is at the discretion of the district office that has the building permit to reflect the needs of students and parents, such as adjusting the spacing."
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also said, "Although we are doing our best to minimize the damage to students, the Office of Education has no authority to get involved in building permits." There are some sanctions,” he explained.
The ward office in charge of building permits is of the view that there is no legal problem.
An official from the Yongsan-gu Office said, "The distance between the elementary school and the construction site is not a legal problem, so the ward office that is granting permission is not considering (adjustment)."
Regarding the construction of four projects at the same time, he said, "Since they are all private businesses, we cannot ask for an adjustment in the construction period."
(Photo = provided by the reader, Yonhap News)