Why Free Meals in Parks Face Total Ban After 20 Years

[Anchor]

For lonely elderly citizens, free meal services mean much more than just a single plate of food. However, Dalseo-gu in Daegu has suddenly decided to ban free meal events inside parks starting next year.

TBC reporter Park Dong-joo has the story.

[Reporter]

A long queue cuts right through the middle of Duryu Park in Daegu.

These are elderly people who came out to use the free meal service.

[Free Meal Beneficiary: If older people just sit at home, it is boring and they feel isolated. Is there anyone to talk to? No. To get a single bowl of lunch, we exercise and meet people....]

This is Duryu Park, which provides free meals twice a week.

The Dalseo-gu Office has decided to ban food distribution in three other parks, excluding this one, starting next year.

The decision stems from complaints about noise.

We visited Duryu 1-dong, where the free meal service is being suspended.

Surrounded by residential homes and schools near a small playground that lacks even a public restroom, hundreds of people crowd the area on days when the free meal service is held twice a week, leaving no room to step.

[Kim Kyung-sik / Duryu-dong, Daegu: Because there is no restroom, elderly people need to urinate, and they just do it anywhere. We cannot keep our windows open because it is too noisy when we stay at home.]

Waryong Park and Bonri Children's Park are in a somewhat different situation.

They are larger in scale than the Duryu 1-dong playground and are relatively far from residential areas.

Resident animosity was also low.

[Nearby Resident: It is for the elderly, so it is good.]

[Nearby Resident: Isn't it actually a very good thing to do? I have not heard any complaints about inconvenience.]

In fact, complaints regarding the free meals were concentrated in just one location.

A total of six complaints were filed this year regarding the Duryu 1-dong playground, one of which was a collective complaint filed by about 50 residents.

However, complaints filed at Waryong Park and Bonri Park were only one and two, respectively.

Volunteer groups have reacted by saying they cannot understand why free meal services are being completely banned simply because of a couple of complaints.

[Kim Kyung-chul / Secretary-General, Bonri-jiluji Free Meal Volunteer Corps: We are not giving food to the elderly for money, we are doing it out of our own pockets. We ask them to give us a clear answer as to why they won't let us do it. If complaints are coming in, we can prevent the complaints from happening.]

Dalseo-gu, Daegu is maintaining its stance of taking a hardline approach starting next year without considering guidance or facility expansion.

The district claims that banning free meals only in locations with many complaints would raise fairness issues.

[Park Ji-hong / Head of Park Green Space Division, Dalseo-gu, Daegu: No matter how good the charity and good intentions are, if even a single person dislikes it, it cannot be done.]

Ahead of the total ban on free meal services in parks that has continued for nearly 20 years, gossip is rife, with criticisms even emerging that it is an administrative-convenience-first approach.

(Video Journalist: Lee Jung-woo TBC)

Park Dong-joo, TBC
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.