Club members monopolize public sports facilities that can be used by all citizens, such as park tennis courts, and there is a controversy over ‘privatization‘.
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission recommended a plan to improve the use of public sports facilities in 2019 to prevent this problem, but the situation has not been corrected.
Nine clubs use the tennis courts in rotation… Citizens only have 3 hours on weekdays
Members of the club are playing tennis at the tennis court operated by Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. Reporter Jeong Seong-wook
On the 8th, a tennis court at Han Sports Park in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Anyone in Yongin can use this site for free. However, all four tennis courts were occupied by members of local tennis clubs.
Inside the tennis courts, there was also a timetable set by the clubs. The nine clubs used the tennis courts at different times for a week. The time allotted to each club is an average of 3-4 hours per day. Each club used it for as little as two days and as many as a week.
When using the tennis courts according to the timetable, the time allotted to ordinary citizens was 3 pm on weekdays (3 days) and only part of the weekend. In particular, it was not available during the evening hours when office workers and students could access it.
One club member said, “Anyone who is not a member can use it, and you can play comfortably on the weekends.” However, Yongin citizen Park Mo pointed out, “It is obviously a Yongin sports park, but citizens cannot use it on weekdays, and all clubs are occupied,” he said.
A local tennis club posted a notice at the entrance to a tennis court in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Reporter Jeong Seong-wookAnother public tennis court in Yongin was obligatory for club use of two out of three courts. It is said that the club used all three courts until just a few years ago. However, citizens complained about the club’s privatization, and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Board of Audit and Inspection were audited. After all, since April of last year, one court has been operated by reservation system so that citizens can use it.
At the entrance to the tennis court used by the club, a user guide written by the club is attached. It is said that members use the tennis courts by opening and closing the doors themselves.
An official from Yongin City said, “According to the Sports Promotion Act, club activities are divided into clubs and citizens. We are aware of this, so we are looking for improvements at the city level,” he said.
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission pointed out ‘privatization of clubs’ public facilities’, but… problem is on-going
Some places have installed signboards to promote clubs in public sports facilities. I visited a badminton court in Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si on the 10th. This is a facility operated by Seongnam City, and anyone can use it for free. However, at the entrance to the badminton court, there was a publicity sign installed by the club. The club promoted monthly membership fees, hours of use, and conditions. Moreover, this is a place where there has been a conflict between citizens and clubs over the use of the badminton court, and as a result, citizens can only use it after 7pm.
As long as Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province runs a badminton court for free, there is a signboard for the local club at the entrance. Reporter Jeong Seong-wookTo prevent this problem, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission recommended to local governments across the country in 2019, ‘Measures to improve the transparency of the use of public sports facilities to resolve fouls and privileges in people’s lives’.
This is because the local government discovered a problem in providing priority reservations for sports facilities to group reservations such as clubs. Some members rented out facilities and had a drinking party. As in the case of Seongnam City, a signboard with the name of the club was installed at the entrance to the sports facility, making it difficult for the general public to know that it is a public facility.
Accordingly, the ACRC recommended that anyone use the sports facilities through the online reservation system. He also said that club promotion banners or signboards should not be affixed to the facility. However, since the ACRC’s recommendations are not compulsory, the controversy continues in the field.
An Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission official said, “The problem of privatization has arisen, such as whether clubs make reservations for sports facilities first, or members drink and smoke at the facilities.” There seems to be,” he said.
