[Exclusive] 165 Former Police Substations Nationwide Lie Idle... Seoul Has the Most with 36

37 Sites Nationwide Neglected for Over Five Years
Hyunhee Jeon: "Improvements Needed for Efficient Utilization of State-Owned Assets"

There are 165 former police substations nationwide that have been left unused, and Seoul has the largest number of unused substations.

Data on unused former police substations submitted by the Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) to the office of Hyunhee Jun, a Democratic Party of Korea member of the National Assembly's National Policy Committee, showed that Seoul had the most, with 36 of the 165 nationwide. In other words, one in five unused former police substations is in Seoul. The unused sites in Seoul covered a total area of 4,478.40 square meters.

The figures for other regions were as follows: ▲North Gyeongsang Province, 25 ▲Gyeonggi Province, 18 ▲South Jeolla Province, 14 ▲Daegu, 12 ▲Busan, 10 ▲South Gyeongsang Province, 7 ▲Incheon, South Chungcheong Province and North Chungcheong Province, 6 each ▲Gangwon Province and Daejeon, 4 each ▲Jeju, 2 ▲Sejong, 1.

Only nine of Seoul's 45 former police substations are being used, leaving the utilization rate at just 20%.

Nationwide, 37 former police substations had been left unused for at least five years. A total of 28 had been unused for less than one year, 85 for one to three years, and 15 for three to five years. Of the 85 former police substations left unused for one to three years, 47 were not being used despite being suitable for use. Reasons they remained unused included buildings scheduled for demolition, buildings in redevelopment zones, and sites designated as urban planning facilities, such as public offices.

Assemblywoman Hyunhee Jun said, "The failure to properly use former police substations that could be put to use is an area that needs improvement to ensure the efficient use of state-owned property. KAMCO should actively consult with local governments and other relevant agencies and develop measures to prevent usable former police substations from being left unused for long periods and to put them to use as facilities that serve residents, in line with local needs."

Hyunhee Jun, Democratic Party of Korea member. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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