A rendering of the proposed Centre Pompidou Busan at Igidae Art Park in Busan (Busan Metropolitan City) The future of the proposed Centre Pompidou Busan has become increasingly uncertain as the project remains stalled nearly two years after the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the renowned French institution. The city's new administration is now reviewing whether to move forward with the plan.The delay has fueled speculation that the project may struggle to move forward, particularly after Centre Pompidou successfully opened its first Korean outpost, Centre Pompidou Hanwha, in Seoul in May in partnership with Hanwha Foundation of Culture."As of now, we are 100 percent focused on Seoul," Centre Pompidou President Laurent Le Bon told The Korea Herald in a written interview earlier this month, when asked about the progress of the Busan project.The Centre Pompidou outpost in Busan was envisioned as a major cultural landmark for the port city’s Igidae Art Park in Nam-gu, with the city’s former administration planning to invest about 110 billion won ($71 million) in the project.The museum was promoted as a flagship cultural project under former Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, whose vision was to transform the coastal Igidae area into an international arts destination.Busan and Centre Pompidou signed the MOU in 2024, with the city announcing on Sept. 9 that the museum would have a total floor area of 15,000 square meters, housing exhibition galleries, artist studios, a performance hall, educational facilities and storage spaces. The city also said the building would be designed through an international architectural competition.Asked why it is taking nearly two years to move to the next phase, the city official overseeing the project said the two sides have yet to iron out certain details, declining to elaborate further."The two sides have yet to reach an agreement on the wording of the framework agreement that is required before signing the final contract, so we have not been able to submit it to the city council," the city official said Wednesday."We had originally planned to sign the final agreement by the end of last year, but negotiations have not progressed as expected."According to the city official, the new Busan mayor Chun Jae-soo — who was elected on June 3 — said the city will review whether to proceed with the Centre Pompidou Busan project while prioritizing investments related to “citizens' livelihoods.”In a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, Chun said, "At a time when citizens are struggling, we need to ask whether spending more than 110 billion won on the project would truly benefit Busan's cultural ecosystem."Meanwhile, civic groups have filed a request for a public-interest audit of the project, questioning both its feasibility and the use of taxpayer money. The city has submitted related documents to the auditors.The validity of the MOU has been extended through the end of this year after an earlier extension through the end of March, according to the city.