“Governor Choo Declared a Fiscal Emergency, Then Moved Into a 1.2 Billion-Won Official Residence,” Civic Group Says

A civic group has accused Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae of hypocrisy after she moved into an apartment leased with 1.22 billion won in provincial funds, shortly after declaring a fiscal emergency and launching sweeping spending cuts.

The Gyeonggi branch of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice issued a statement on the 8th demanding that the lease be canceled and the budget recovered. It also called for the complete abolition of official residences, a full review of cuts to small-scale livelihood and civic-participation programs, and a public apology to residents.

The group said Choo had declared a “fiscal emergency” the previous month and carried out painful restructuring, while using public money to rent a 47-pyeong apartment for personal residence rather than a public purpose. It criticized the province for cutting social-economy and public-interest programs in amounts ranging from 1 million to 10 million won, while justifying a 1.2 billion-won lease as customary.

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Choo Mi-ae declared a ‘fiscal emergency’ last month and carried out painful restructuring, but showed hypocrisy by renting a 47-pyeong apartment for her own residence rather than for a public purpose.

Gyeonggi Province signed the lease in mid-June for an apartment near the provincial government offices in the Gwanggyo New Town area of Suwon. The unit has an exclusive area of 156 square meters, or 47 pyeong. Choo reportedly moved in immediately after taking office in July.

Criticism spread on the provincial government’s anonymous internal message board after it emerged that Choo’s administration had ordered 546.5 billion won in spending cuts, including welfare spending such as around 10 million won for officials’ participation in sports competitions. The case has also drawn comparisons with former Governor Kim Dong-yeon, who paid for his own rental residence.

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Cutting small-scale livelihood and civil-society budgets for social economy and the public interest without hesitation, while justifying a 1.2 billion-won lease as customary, is a thorough deception of the 14 million residents of the province.