What Do You Think About Lee Jae-myung's 'Ilsan Bridge Toll-Free' Policy?

Lee Jae-myung Declared 'Ilsan Representative Toll-Free' Last September
"Will Pursue Public Interest Disposition of Ilsan Bridge to Restore Basic Transportation Rights and Toll-Free Passage"
Ilsan Bridge Operator Appeals Gyeonggi-do's Disposition
Court Approves Ilsan Bridge Operator's Injunction Request... Gyeonggi-do's Second Public Interest Disposition
Ilsan Bridge Operator Files Another Appeal, Legal Battle Anticipated

Ilsan Bridge has been toll-free since October 27. This follows the public interest disposition decision made last month by former Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung to make Ilsan Bridge toll-free.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Legal disputes continue between Gyeonggi Province and the operator of Ilsan Bridge over the issue of making the bridge toll-free. Earlier, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, decided to make Ilsan Bridge toll-free upon resigning from his position as governor of Gyeonggi Province. The operator of Ilsan Bridge, who opposed this, filed a suspension of execution with the court, which was accepted. However, Gyeonggi Province issued a second public interest disposition, and the operator of Ilsan Bridge has filed another lawsuit in response.

On September 3, when Lee was governor of Gyeonggi Province, he declared the toll-free policy at the Ilsan Bridge tollgate in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Lee stated, "We have decided to promote a public interest disposition for Ilsan Bridge to restore the basic transportation rights of Gyeonggi residents and to make the toll free," and announced the 'Implementation Plan for Public Interest Disposition for Toll-Free Ilsan Bridge.'

Subsequently, before resigning as governor on the 26th of last month, Lee approved the public interest disposition for Ilsan Bridge as his final act, and Gyeonggi Province announced on the same day that "free passage will be implemented from 12 noon on the 27th." To make Ilsan Bridge toll-free, Gyeonggi Province delivered a public interest disposition notice to ㈜Ilsan Bridge, the operator, canceling its designation as the project operator.

The public interest disposition is a system where local governments cancel the management and operation rights of private investors for social infrastructure for the public good and provide corresponding compensation. As the public interest disposition took effect, ㈜Ilsan Bridge became unable to collect tolls.

Former Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung is answering questions at a briefing on the promotion of public disposition for the toll-free policy of Ilsan Bridge, held on September 3 at the Ilsan Bridge tollgate in Geolpo-dong, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Opened in May 2008, Ilsan Bridge is a Han River bridge connecting Beopgot-dong in Goyang City and Geolpo-dong in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, spanning 1.84 km. Ilsan Bridge was constructed through a private investment method guaranteeing a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG 88%) for 30 years until 2038 by Gyeonggi Province, Daelim Industrial, and four other entities. The operating company ㈜Ilsan Bridge was established, but in 2009, the National Pension Service acquired 100% of the shares from Daelim Industrial and four other companies for about 200 billion KRW, gaining management and operation rights of Ilsan Bridge until 2038.

Until then, the National Pension Service earned about 20 billion KRW annually from loan interest and tolls on Ilsan Bridge. These earnings are used for 22 million National Pension subscribers and 5.5 million beneficiaries. The issue is that while Gyeonggi Province proposes compensation of 200 billion KRW for the public interest disposition, the total of the National Pension's investment and expected earnings until 2038 is estimated to exceed 700 billion KRW, raising concerns that the losses could be passed on to the public.

Concerns were also raised during the National Assembly audit last month. On the 13th, at the Health and Welfare Committee's National Pension Service audit, Lee Jong-sung, a member of the People Power Party, criticized, "The public interest disposition of Ilsan Bridge is a political show by Governor Lee to gain attention and votes by abusing his superior position," adding, "Public assets invested with citizens' retirement funds must not be damaged."

Park Wan-soo, another People Power Party lawmaker, also criticized on the 26th during the Administrative Safety Committee's comprehensive audit, saying, "Candidate Lee canceled the project operator designation under the name of public interest disposition a day before his resignation, making Ilsan Bridge toll-free," and called it "a unilateral action by Gyeonggi Province."

Park further stated, "While Gyeonggi Province estimates compensation at around 200 billion KRW, the National Pension's expected investment returns are around 700 billion KRW," expressing concern that "the governor's unilateral decision will ultimately impose enormous costs on Gyeonggi residents." He also expressed worries about ㈜Ilsan Bridge and its major shareholder, the National Pension Service, filing injunctions and administrative lawsuits in response to the public interest disposition.

These concerns became reality. On the 27th of last month, ㈜Ilsan Bridge filed a suspension of execution and cancellation lawsuit against Gyeonggi Province's disposition at the Suwon District Court. On the 3rd, the Suwon District Court accepted ㈜Ilsan Bridge's claim, stating, "It is difficult to exclude the possibility of basic corporate activities being hindered, and it seems harsh to require the corporation to endure exclusion from activities without even an opportunity to examine the validity of the disposition."

However, following this decision, Gyeonggi Province immediately notified the operator of an additional 'public interest disposition prohibiting toll collection' to maintain the operator's status while continuing toll-free passage. Gyeonggi Province also announced that until the main judgment, it would continue the toll-free policy by prepaying the MRG from the legally determined appropriate compensation amount set by the court.

Toll fee sign at Ilsan Bridge tollgate in Geolpo-dong, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 26th of last month. Gyeonggi-do announced on the 26th that it will deliver a public interest disposition notice to Ilsan Bridge Co., Ltd. to cancel its designation as the project operator in order to make the toll on Ilsan Bridge free of charge. Accordingly, starting at 12 noon on the 27th, the toll fee for Ilsan Bridge will be adjusted to "0 won." Currently, the toll fee for Ilsan Bridge is 1,200 won for passenger cars. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Given the situation, debates over the toll-free policy of Ilsan Bridge continue. Netizen A, who disclosed living in Gimpo, said, "Whenever I travel on business toward Paju, Goyang, or Gangbuk, I used Olympic-daero to avoid tolls. I cheered when I heard the toll would be removed despite the inconvenience," adding, "Other family members commuting to and from Ilsan also like it."

On the other hand, netizen B said, "It would help those commuting via Ilsan Bridge if tolls were waived," but criticized, "If the National Pension fund runs out, insurance premiums will increase again. It's like the blind killing their own chickens. Typical populism."

㈜Ilsan Bridge filed another lawsuit on the 4th, opposing Gyeonggi Province's second public interest disposition prohibiting toll collection issued on the 3rd. On that day, ㈜Ilsan Bridge stated on its website, "Gyeonggi Province has reissued the 'toll collection prohibition' disposition," adding, "We judged Gyeonggi Province's overlapping dispositions to be illegal and have filed a suspension of execution and cancellation lawsuit again." It further noted, "Depending on the court's judgment, toll collection on Ilsan Bridge may resume."

Meanwhile, Lee expressed regret over the operator's legal response to the public interest disposition on Ilsan Bridge on his Facebook on the 8th. Lee said, "I deeply regret the attempts to nullify the public interest disposition that returns the only toll road on the Han River, Ilsan Bridge, to residents of northwestern Gyeonggi through proper procedures, prioritizing citizens' basic transportation rights and mobility convenience over the bridge's profits," criticizing the operator's actions.

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