Public contribution fee dispute rocks Seongnam mayoral election

The mayoral election in Seongnam City, a key battleground in Gyeonggi Province and considered the political hometown of former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, is being dominated by a fierce dispute over the redevelopment of Bundang's first-generation new towns. Accusations of calculation errors in public contribution fees, levied in exchange for increased redevelopment density, have escalated into legal complaints, making the issue a critical factor in swaying voters in Bundang.

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I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed.

According to city officials and the housing development industry, the total public contribution for the initial redevelopment zones in Bundang, which include Yangji Village and Simbeom Hyundai/Woosung, among four areas designated in January, was set at approximately 3.78 trillion won. This figure is nearly three times the city's initial estimate of 1.25 trillion won. Residents are reportedly concerned because these four zones, representing only 12% of Bundang's total housing units, are burdened with over 40% of the total public contribution.

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How can the ADC criticise INEC for election interference and the falsification of results, and yet tolerate the same within its own house? I will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.

Kim Byung-wook, a candidate from the Democratic Party who previously served as a presidential secretary under the Lee Jae-myung administration, initiated the offensive. He claimed that Seongnam City made a critical error in calculating the public contribution fees, effectively sending residents a "1 trillion won bill." Kim argued that a calculation error in the denominator, the land area, could reduce the fee by about 1 trillion won if corrected according to regulations. He pointed out that the city incorrectly applied the general "Urban Maintenance Act" instead of the special "Act on the Maintenance and Improvement of Old Urban Areas," explaining that the special law allows for the calculation of land area to include public contribution land, unlike the general act.

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I have decided, after careful reflection and wide consultation, that I will not challenge the outcome in court. Nigeria urgently requires a strong, credible and united opposition. That objective must always remain larger than individual ambition or temporary political disappointment.

In response, incumbent Mayor Shin Sang-jin of the People Power Party blamed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the confusion, stating that the ministry's "sloppy guidelines" created the issue. He asserted that the ministry failed to clearly define the calculation standards for "maintenance redevelopment density" when creating its guidelines in January of the previous year. Shin's camp added that after a meeting of ministry-led officials overseeing initial redevelopment zones in March, the city internally reviewed the matter and publicly announced a "reconsideration of the public contribution calculation method." They further stated that the city officially announced an adjustment to the public contribution rate on April 14, arguing that Kim's claims were merely political attacks for the election since the city had identified and addressed the problem itself. Shin's side has filed a complaint with the police against Kim for violating the Public Official Election Act, accusing him of "malicious incitement" and spreading false information. Kim's camp has countersued for defamation.

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The outcome of the May 25 primary did not fully meet my expectations, and I have communicated my deep concerns about certain processes and procedural matters directly and privately to the leadership of the party.