Authorities' Delayed Response to Heavy Snow... Opposition Criticizes, "What Are Local Governments Doing?"

Snow has fallen across the country on the 17th, and snow is piled up at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] From the night of the 6th, heavy snowfall caused great inconvenience for citizens commuting to and from work, prompting opposition figures to collectively criticize local governments for their delayed response.

Kwon Young-se, a member of the People Power Party representing Yongsan-gu in Seoul, criticized the slow response on Facebook on the 7th, saying, "What are the district offices doing, and what is the Seoul city government doing... The acting mayor of Seoul, with less than a year in office, should focus on handling situations like this properly instead of planning construction at Gwanghwamun Square."

He shared his experience, stating, "Around 8 p.m. yesterday, it took me nearly two hours to travel about 2 km from the local office near Samgakji Station to my home near Yongsan District Office. Those who left work a bit late yesterday must have gone through the same ordeal. It was enough to make anyone furious."

In another post, he criticized, "Many people had no choice but to leave their cars on the road due to the heavy snowfall yesterday and came back later, but in some cases, parking violation stickers were attached. It seems they are diligent in unnecessary tasks while neglecting what really needs to be done."

He raised his voice, saying, "This is not just Yongsan District Office's issue; parking violations should not be enforced under circumstances like yesterday anywhere. This needs to be corrected."

Yoo Seung-min, a former lawmaker considered a leading opposition presidential candidate, indirectly criticized the authorities' delayed response to the heavy snowfall by sharing an anecdote from his studies in the United States in the 1980s on Facebook on the 7th.

He said, "When I studied in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, in the 1980s, as soon as it snowed, snowplows would start moving, spreading calcium chloride throughout the night and pushing the snow to the roadside. When I asked Americans why they worked so hard clearing snow all night, the answer was, 'A mayor who doesn't clear snow overnight will never be voted for in the next election.'"

Former lawmaker Yoo pointed out, "Politics must be competitive to take care of people's livelihoods. It's time for us to have advanced-country-style politics where people's livelihoods are important in elections."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.