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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Gyeonggi Budget Cuts Spark Clash Between Governor Choo Mi-ae and Provincial Council

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Gyeonggi Province is seeking to cut 546.5 billion won from a 42.242 trillion-won supplementary budget after declaring a fiscal emergency.
  • Governor Choo Mi-ae says strong spending cuts are needed to protect essential public services, while council members question the criteria and warn of harm to welfare programs.
  • The provincial council will review the proposal during an 18-day session, with approval of the cuts uncertain.

Gyeonggi Province has declared a fiscal emergency, but the spending cuts proposed by Governor Choo Mi-ae have drawn criticism from both major parties in the provincial council.

I will not include new project budgets to implement my pledges in next year's main budget. If we do not act now, it will return as much greater pain in two or three years.

— Choo Mi-aeThe governor defended austerity measures during her budget presentation.

Choo told the opening plenary session of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council that the province could struggle to maintain even essential livelihood programs. She said her administration would add no new budget for her pledged projects in next year's main budget, arguing that delay would bring greater hardship in two or three years.

The supplementary budget totals 42.242 trillion won across general and special accounts. Its central measure calls for a fresh review of 1,355 projects and cuts of 546.5 billion won in administrative operating costs and investment programs.

Considering the debt ratio, we cannot immediately define the current situation as a fiscal crisis.

— Ahn Gwang-ryulThe Democratic Party floor leader challenged the governor's fiscal assessment.

The council's ruling Democratic Party members, as well as the opposition People Power Party, accused Choo of pursuing cuts without clear principles. Democratic Party floor leader Ahn Gwang-ryul said current debt ratios did not justify immediately declaring a fiscal crisis. He called instead for fiscal policies that prevent a crisis and for selective restructuring based on performance and residents' experience of essential services.

We need fiscal policy that prevents a crisis, not politics that declares one.

— Ahn Gwang-ryulAhn argued for structural revenue reform and selective budget restructuring.

Council Chairman Nam Jong-seop said financial difficulty did not justify reducing every program by the same amount. He called for clear explanations and standards for each cut, along with a restored communication system between the provincial government and the council. The council's 18-day session will consider the proposal as property acquisition tax revenues decline, leaving the plan's approval uncertain.

Financial difficulties do not mean every program can be cut by the same amount, and if a program is cut, the reason and criteria must be clear.

— Nam Jong-seopThe provincial council chairman criticized uniform reductions.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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