Jung Ye-ji, Bupyeong District Councillor: “Gulpocheon Milky Way Path, Excessive Laser Lighting Causes Residents to ‘Frown’”

Concerns have been raised that the representative nighttime landscape project of Bupyeong District, the ‘Gulpocheon Milky Way Path’, is causing inconvenience to residents due to excessive lighting installations.

At the 5th Urban Environment Committee meeting of the 274th temporary session held on the 3rd, Councillor Jung Ye-ji (Democratic Party, Proportional) pointed out the issues with nighttime lighting on the Gulpocheon Milky Way Path and the lack of consideration for vulnerable pedestrians.

Councillor Jung strongly criticised the nighttime landscape of the Gulpocheon Milky Way Path, stating, “Contrary to the original plan, laser lights are installed at every step, which is excessive,” and added, “When you visit at night, it’s dizzying, and elderly people are concerned about falling due to the disorienting lights.”

She continued, “The landscape lighting that should be enjoyed throughout the four seasons is explained away by the department as ‘there are no trees in winter’, which is a weak excuse,” and emphasised, “We need to create a harmonious landscape that residents can enjoy comfortably, like in Subong Park, rather than the current method that causes light pollution, which needs to be re-evaluated.” In response, a district official stated, “We will modify it to create a natural landscape through reinforcement work, such as installing light pollution prevention caps before completion in March.”

The issue of pedestrian rights for the transportation vulnerable was also brought to the table. Councillor Jung mentioned the stepping stones near the entrance of Gulpocheon Baengmajang, stating, “We have received complaints that those in wheelchairs cannot cross the walking path,” and urged, “We need to move away from designs focused on non-disabled individuals and establish alternative measures that allow vulnerable pedestrians to fully enjoy Gulpocheon.” The district side stated that they would review alternative measures such as pedestrian bridges exclusively for vulnerable pedestrians through future studies.

Additionally, Councillor Jung checked the follow-up actions regarding the illegal activities of a large supermarket (Segeuro Mart) located in Cheongcheon-dong and Sipjeong-dong. In particular, regarding the act of using warehouse facilities for store and cooking purposes, she ordered the construction department to “strictly complete administrative actions so that nearby merchants do not feel ‘privileged’.”

In her concluding remarks, Councillor Jung emphasised once again that “administration should be conducted from the perspective of the residents who actually use it, not from the perspective of experts,” reiterating the importance of field-centred administration.