Changwon Mayor Heo Seong-mu Meets Candidate Lee Jae-myung to Discuss Local Pending Issues

Citizens' Wish to Host National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changwon Branch Delivered, Urging Presidential Pledge
Calls to Fully Free Naeseo IC Toll and Reduce Machang and Geoga Bridge Tolls

Changwon Mayor Heo Seong-mu is meeting candidate Lee Jae-myung to discuss local pending issues.
[Image source=Changwon City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] On the 13th, Changwon Mayor Heo Seong-mu met with Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate who visited Changwon, to convey local demands such as attracting the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changwon Branch and requested active support.

As the first regional tour schedule of the "Weekly Livelihood Bus (Maeta Bus)," candidate Lee, who visited the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area, inspected livelihood sites by visiting the Masan March 15th Movement Memorial Hall and Masan Fish Market together with Mayor Heo.

At the meeting with candidate Lee, Mayor Heo conveyed the citizens' desire and determination to attract the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changwon Branch, appealing to resolve the cultural thirst of all citizens in the southern region including Changwon, the Gyeongnam area, Gwangju Jeolla area, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk area.

In particular, Mayor Heo emphasized, "The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changwon Branch can satisfy the cultural demand of 15 million people in Daegu, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, and Jeolla regions within a 1 hour and 30 minutes transportation zone. We have already secured a 33,000㎡ site in Masan Marine New City and can start construction immediately."

Since 500 million KRW for the feasibility study of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art regional branch was reflected in the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's budget review for next year on the 11th, the attraction of the Changwon branch has gained momentum. He urged that it be adopted as candidate Lee’s regional pledge in the presidential election to truly realize cultural decentralization.

Furthermore, Mayor Heo requested the resolution of local demands such as making the Naeseo IC to West Masan IC section completely toll-free and reducing tolls on the Machang and Geoga Bridges.

In particular, residents of the Naeseo area have expressed dissatisfaction, saying that while the toll is free on the Dongmasan IC to West Masan IC section, tolls are collected only at Naeseo IC, which is unfair.

In response, Mayor Heo told candidate Lee, "There are 17 toll roads nationwide similar to the Naeseo IC case," and said that the government needs to actively work toward making toll roads that have lost their highway functions, including Naeseo IC, completely toll-free to alleviate the toll burden on local residents.

He also requested that the government prepare measures to reduce tolls on major nationwide privately financed roads such as the Machang and Geoga Bridges.

The Machang and Geoga Bridges have the highest tolls in the country, with the Machang Bridge toll at 1,471 KRW per kilometer and the Geoga Bridge at 1,220 KRW. This is more than twice the 652 KRW toll of the Ilsan Bridge and more than 10 times the 135 KRW toll of the Gwangandaegyo Bridge.

Mayor Heo said, "Residents of Gyeongnam continue to suffer inconvenience by taking longer routes due to the high tolls of the Machang and Geoga Bridges," adding, "Reducing tolls is essential to reduce industrial logistics costs in the southeastern region and ease the economic burden on residents."

In response, candidate Lee said, "I will actively work to resolve local demands in Changwon, such as the establishment of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changwon Branch and toll issues."

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