[Interview] Lee Hyuk-je, Chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Council Budget Committee, "Only for the Residents"

Efforts to Equitably Distribute Budget Across 22 Cities and Counties in Jeonnam

Support for Local Children's Center Materials, Free High School Education, and Educational Disaster Relief Funds 추진

Lee Hyuk-je, Chairman of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee of the Jeonnam Provincial Council (Democratic Party·Mokpo 4), shared his thoughts on his activities and achievements as he concluded his term on the 30th.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] “The authority entrusted by the residents of Jeonnam will be devoted solely to the lives of the residents.”

Lee Hyuk-je, Chairperson of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee of the Jeonnam Provincial Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Mokpo 4), stated in an interview with Asia Economy on the 30th, as he concluded his one-year term, about his activities and achievements.

Chairperson Lee said, “The role of the Budget Committee Chairperson is to have a sense of balance to ensure that the budget is distributed evenly across the 22 cities and counties of Jeonnam. It is a position to pressure and negotiate with the executive branch so that the policy budgets proposed by the council can be allocated. I have led the Budget Committee over the past year focusing on these two points. When combining the annual budgets of Jeonnam Province and the Jeonnam Office of Education, it amounts to about 15 trillion won. This enormous budget is prepared by the governor and the superintendent of education, but the council holds the approval rights for the prepared budget,” he explained.

He added, “If the governor and superintendent have 15 trillion won in their bank account, the council holds the password and seal. Ultimately, the council is the place that controls the budget. If the executive branch prepares an unbalanced budget or a budget that goes against the will of the residents, the council must put a brake on it. A representative example was the administrative integration service fee. In the future, it will be the support fund for Korea Energy Engineering University, which has neglected local talent recruitment,” he emphasized.

Regarding the most difficult experience during the budget review process, he said, “Securing the budget is like a war. The budget is limited, but most projects are essential. Especially in the welfare sector, it is important, but we cannot support everything indiscriminately. To increase one project, another must be reduced. It was very difficult as the Budget Committee Chairperson because we could not meet all budget demands from socially vulnerable groups such as organizations for the disabled,” he expressed his difficulties.

He also shared the most rewarding moments during his legislative activities: “The Office of Education supports local children’s center students with about 40,000 won worth of textbooks annually, proactive free high school education, education disaster relief funds, and participation allowances for out-of-school youth education are meaningful outcomes of my legislative work. Above all, I felt the greatest reward when I saw significant changes over the past three years in improving the educational environment,” he reflected.

He particularly described the council and the executive branch as two coachmen driving the same carriage, saying, “The two coachmen must share the same direction for the carriage to move properly. The council and the executive branch must be coachmen running together on equal footing for a common goal, which of course should be the happy life of the residents,” he asserted.

Regarding his political philosophy, he said, “When I ran in the 2018 election, I stated that I wanted not power but authority as a metropolitan council member. The reason was that no matter how much I shouted outside the system, some policy makers did not listen. So I ran, and now I am sincerely carrying out my legislative activities with the authority entrusted by the residents, fulfilling my duties solely for the happy lives of the residents,” he declared his conviction.

He added, “I believe I have worked harder than anyone else over the past three years. I have engaged in more than 20 legislative activities, participated in the Jeonnam Education Policy Research Association, served on the Education Committee for three years, and the Youth Special Committee, all to do my best for the residents’ lives. For the remaining year, I will focus on completing ongoing projects such as establishing the Early Childhood Education Promotion Institute, relocating the high school in the new town, selection for the 2022 Green Smart Future School, and utilization plans for the old Cheongho Middle School and Cheonghaesa Temple,” he emphasized.

He concluded, “Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to the residents and local community. Although I was elected as a young first-term council member, surpassing many prominent seniors in the last local election, I may not have fully met the residents’ expectations, but I will work even harder to make up for the shortcomings in the remaining year,” he reiterated.

Councilor Lee Hyuk-je was born in 1970 in Sinan, Jeonnam. He graduated from Mokpo Yeongheung High School and majored in English Literature at Kyung Hee University Graduate School. Since being elected as the 11th Jeonnam Provincial Council member in 2018, he has been dedicated to legislative activities for the development of local communities and Jeonnam’s autonomy through roles such as Chairperson of the Budget and Accounts Committee, member of the Education Committee, and member of the Youth Development Special Committee.

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