Lifelong Farmers Take Legal Action... Former Geochang County Mayor Gu Inmo Faces Scrutiny Over Responsibility

Farming Halted After Second Sports Town Development,
Prolonged Conflict Over Compensation for Farming Losses
13.5 Billion Won Public Project Also Sparks Administrative Procedure Controversy
"The County Must Clearly Explain Farmer Compensation and Project Process"

The second sports town in Geochang, Gyeongnam, which was developed with an investment of 13.5 billion won, has been completed. However, behind the scenes, farmers who cultivated the land for decades are engaged in ongoing legal battles with Geochang County over compensation for farming losses.

Although the project, designed to expand local sports infrastructure for public benefit, has been completed, some farmers who had cultivated the land for a long period are facing lawsuits to resolve compensation issues following the discontinuation of their farming activities.

In particular, as controversies have arisen over the main administrative procedures—such as approval and public notification of the implementation plan—carried out during the development of the second sports town, critics argue that, before emphasizing the achievements of such a large-scale public project, the local government should have ensured adequate compensation for residents and proper compliance with statutory procedures.

[Photo by Geochang-gun] A view of the second sports town in Geochang, Gyeongnam, developed with a total project cost of 13.5 billion won. Although the project has been completed, issues remain regarding compensation for farming losses suffered by farmers who have cultivated the land for an extended period, as well as controversies surrounding administrative procedures during the project's implementation.

The Geochang County Council has also officially raised the issue of compensation for farming losses suffered by residents who cultivated the land of the second sports town site for about 40 years.

For the farmers, the site was not simply another project location. It was the place where they had maintained their livelihoods through farming for many years. Now, having become unable to continue farming due to the public project and being forced to dispute their entitlement to compensation in administrative offices and courts, their burden has increased.

Farmer representative Mr. A stated, "Although I actually farmed the land for a long time, I did not receive compensation for farming losses during the development of the second sports town, which led me to pursue legal action. I hope Geochang County will provide a clear explanation as to why farmers were excluded from compensation and whether the administrative procedures during the project were appropriately followed."

In response, an official from Geochang County explained, "Currently, lawsuits are ongoing with the farmers, and at this stage, there is no legal basis for compensating farming losses, making it difficult to provide compensation. Should a legal basis be established through the outcome of the lawsuits, compensation could follow accordingly."

Ultimately, whether the farmers qualify for compensation for farming losses will be determined through judicial judgment, taking into account not only actual cultivation but also factors such as cultivation rights, contract duration, river occupation permits, and relevant laws and regulations.

However, the question of whether the farmers' compensation claims are legally recognized is clearly distinct from the issue of whether Geochang County properly fulfilled the necessary administrative procedures while proceeding with the second sports town project, which cost 13.5 billion won.

During the administrative audit by the Geochang County Council, intense scrutiny was directed at whether major steps—such as the designation of the project operator, approval and public notification of the implementation plan, commencement of construction, and completion procedures—were properly carried out throughout the second sports town development.

The fact that fundamental controversies over the administrative process have persisted even after the completion of this large-scale public project, which was implemented over several years and required a huge project cost of 13.5 billion won, cannot be overlooked.

There is also criticism that the scale and duration of the project were far too large to attribute the administrative controversy merely to an error by a subordinate department or field-level official.

Geochang County held the completion ceremony for the second sports town on May 22, 2025. At the time, County Mayor Gu Inmo evaluated the completion of the second sports town, a long-term endeavor, as a major administration achievement.

However, following the ceremony, explanations emerged from county officials claiming that issues surrounding administrative procedures had been reported to Mayor Gu Inmo at the time, shifting the focus of controversy from working-level departments to the responsibility of the top county official for management and supervision.

If the achievement of the project is being put forth under the name of county governance, then it is difficult to avoid demands for clarification as to how responsibly the administration managed the problems with administrative procedures along the way.

The second sports town was a large-scale public project initiated and pursued over many years during former Mayor Gu Inmo's tenure. It is necessary to scrutinize whether the management and supervision system, including the highest decision-maker, properly checked whether the essential administrative procedures for the 13.5 billion won project were carried out appropriately.

In particular, if there were procedural issues, it must be clearly revealed when the problems began, when the responsible department became aware of them, how the approval and reporting lines operated at the time, and when and what kind of information Mayor Gu Inmo received and what instructions or corrective actions followed.

If the achievement is highlighted as the county mayor's accomplishment, but the responsibility for problems is later entirely attributed to working-level administrative errors, residents are unlikely to accept such a structure.

Moreover, while debates over the administrative process unfold, farmers who cultivated the land for decades are demanding compensation for farming losses and are even taking legal action against the administrative authorities.

The farmers were neither the planners nor the ones in charge of securing the necessary permits and processing the required administrative procedures for the project. Nevertheless, the reality that they must undergo legal proceedings to determine their entitlement to compensation after losing their right to farm due to the public project represents a significant challenge left behind by this project.

Naturally, Geochang County cannot arbitrarily disburse funds without a legal basis. As the county official explained, in the absence of such a basis, it is inevitable for the administrative body to wait for the court’s ruling.

Yet, precisely for that reason, a more fundamental question remains. If administrative procedures and resident compensation issues had been thoroughly reviewed from the very start, would farmers and Geochang County now be in a situation where they are confronting each other in court over compensation eligibility?

Geochang County should not simply wait for the court’s decision. The county should re-examine the process for establishing the compensation plan and selecting eligible parties, the investigation of actual cultivation, and the status of contracts and occupation permits, transparently explaining the specific legal and administrative grounds for excluding farmers from compensation for farming losses.

In addition, there is a need to clarify precisely why major administrative procedures—such as the designation of the project operator and the approval and public notification of the implementation plan—for the second sports town were not properly handled, at what stage problems occurred if any, and where the responsibility for management and supervision lies.

[Photo by Geochang County] At the time, Gu Inmo, the governor of Geochang County, attended the completion ceremony of the 2nd Sports Town to announce the project's completion. Since the 2nd Sports Town was promoted as a major county administration project, questions are being raised about his management and supervision responsibilities as the chief administrative officer at the time, especially concerning the recent issues about administrative procedures and resident compensation.

Although a sports town worth 13.5 billion won has been completed, administrative responsibility has not been finalized.

The success or failure of a public project cannot be assessed solely by completing the facility and holding an opening ceremony. It is also the basic duty of the administration to comply with the necessary legal procedures throughout the project and properly resolve the rights and compensation issues of affected residents.

In this light, there are pointed criticisms that former Mayor Gu Inmo, who promoted the second sports town as a key county administration project and presented its completion as an achievement, cannot be free from responsibility for the administration and supervision of the project's administrative procedures and resident compensation issues.

If the merits of the project are brought to the forefront but no one takes responsibility for the belatedly revealed procedural controversies and compensation conflicts, the resulting burden will, in the end, be borne by residents rather than the administration.

Therefore, regardless of the outcome of ongoing lawsuits with farmers, Geochang County must transparently disclose the entire administrative procedure and reporting/approval process of the second sports town project and thoroughly verify whether management and supervision of the county administration at that time functioned properly.

That being said, whether the farmers’ claims for compensation for farming losses are legally recognized, and whether former Mayor Gu Inmo bears any specific legal responsibility, are separate matters to ultimately be determined by forthcoming court decisions and supporting documents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.