Incheon City's High-Cost Support Fund Contribution: A Political Farce?

Incheon's city council has become the stage for a bewildering political drama, showcasing a stunning lack of coordination within the ruling People Power Party itself. The city's contribution of 66.2 billion won to a national support fund for high oil and exchange rates was first completely slashed, then miraculously resurrected within the span of a few hours.

“

Why should Incheon City do the central government's good deeds?

The core of the dispute lies in a fundamental disagreement: should Incheon City, led by Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok (People Power Party), be footing part of the bill for a central government initiative? The city council's administrative safety committee, influenced by some members' sentiment that "Why should Incheon City do the central government's good deeds?", initially blocked the mayor's plan to issue municipal bonds to cover the city's share.

“

It was not a vote. However, because only 3 out of the 7 members of the Administrative Safety Committee agreed when asked twice if they agreed, it was rejected.

This internal party conflict reached its peak when the council speaker, also from the People Power Party, directly intervened. After the committee chairman, another party member, pushed for the budget cut, the speaker controversially called for an immediate vote on the mayor's bond issuance plan during the plenary session. The plan passed, and the previously cut budget was restored. This entire episode, marked by such rapid and contradictory decisions, has understandably drawn sharp criticism, with one local civic group lamenting the "farce" and questioning the competence of the city's leadership.

“

The local residents' opinions were also considered, with many saying they would prefer tax cuts over receiving money.

From our perspective at Hankyoreh, this incident highlights a troubling trend of internal party squabbles overshadowing the urgent needs of citizens. While the central government's support program aims to alleviate economic burdens, the political maneuvering within Incheon has created unnecessary confusion and delay. The focus should be on providing tangible relief, not engaging in partisan theater. This situation is particularly galling given the ongoing economic hardships faced by citizens, exacerbated by global events like the war in Ukraine.

“

If the budget for the municipal bond burden was cut and passed by the plenary session, Incheon citizens would receive less support than in other regions. We had to prevent such a situation, so Speaker Jeong made the decision to put it to a direct vote.