Busan civic groups are filing a public interest audit request with the Board of Audit and Inspection over the planned Pompidou Center branch at Igidae Art Park. The move comes as renewed controversy over project feasibility and procedural legality puts the city's cultural infrastructure expansion policy at a critical crossroads.
The Committee Against Overdevelopment of Igidae Pompidou Branch, law firm Jinsim, and Busan Participatory Solidarity held a press conference at the Busan City Council briefing room on the afternoon of the 3rd. They announced they would "file a public interest audit request with the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding Busan City and Mayor Park Hyung-jun's illegal pursuit of the Pompidou Center branch."
The groups claimed, "Busan City is pushing the branch project under the banner of becoming a 'global hub city,' but has not adequately explained to citizens why Busan needs a world-class art museum, why specifically the Pompidou Center, and why the location was changed from the original North Port site to Igidae."
They specifically criticized the city council's decision to hold standing committee meetings in closed sessions and its refusal to submit documents requested during the National Assembly audit. "Using confidentiality clauses as justification, they signed a memorandum of understanding while restricting information disclosure, and are proceeding without proper procedures to install the multi-billion won 'Art Pavilion' and develop the large-scale Igidae Art Park," the groups stated.
The organizations also claimed that although Busan City conducted two research studies, these were not objective assessments of the need for a world-class art museum or site feasibility, but rather procedures to supplement logic for the predetermined "Igidae construction" decision. They maintain that the site change process was also illegal, lacking rational and objective review.
The investment review exemption process also came under scrutiny. According to the groups, the project was placed on the agenda of the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting on November 8, 2023, citing the need to open before the 2030 World Expo. It was then designated for "investment review consultation exemption." However, the groups argue the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting has no legal authority to grant investment review exemptions, and the exemption rationale became void after the Expo bid failed. They criticized that despite this, the Minister of the Interior and Safety used this as grounds to exempt the project from investment review and feasibility studies one year later, violating obligations under the Local Finance Act.
The groups further argued that conducting council approval procedures in closed sessions violates the information disclosure intent of the Local Autonomy Act, and refusing to submit National Assembly audit documents constitutes a violation of the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Administration.
"The branch project, pushed forward in secret while violating procedures, is an act of deception against citizens and local artists," the groups stated. "Following the public interest audit request, we will not hesitate to pursue resident audit requests and resident lawsuits." They added that a resident referendum is also being pursued concurrently.
Busan City signed an agreement with France's Centre Pompidou in September 2024 to establish a branch in Busan. The Pompidou Center Busan is planned for the Eoulmadang area of Igidae Park in Yongho-dong, Nam-gu, with negotiations currently underway for a basic contract.