Kim Dong-yeon "What is Candidate Kim Eun-hye's Clear Position on Free Use of Ilsan Bridge?"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Gyeonggi Province, urged Kim Eun-hye, the People Power Party candidate, to clearly state her position on the toll-free policy for Ilsan Bridge.

This comes as Kim Eun-hye has been inconsistent regarding the toll-free policy for Ilsan Bridge, at one point calling it "populism," but recently including "making Ilsan Bridge toll-free" as one of her transportation pledges in her gubernatorial campaign.

On the 4th, Kim Dong-yeon's campaign released a statement saying, "During the party primary, Candidate Kim opposed making Ilsan Bridge toll-free and criticized it as a populist policy, claiming in a debate with candidate Yoo Seung-min that former Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province imposed over 1 trillion won on residents by including toll-free policies," adding, "However, her recent transportation pledge includes 'making Ilsan Bridge toll-free.'"

The campaign further stated, "The toll collection on Ilsan Bridge is a representative harmful case of privatization of social overhead capital, which was significantly carried out during the Lee Myung-bak administration, burdening ordinary citizens' pockets," and added, "Ilsan Bridge is the only privately financed bridge among Han River bridges, and controversies over tolls have continued for over ten years. If Candidate Kim understood the suffering of residents in areas like Goyang City who use the bridge, she would not have made claims calling it populism."

Previously, Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, criticized candidate Lee Jae-myung's push for making Ilsan Bridge toll-free during the presidential election process as a "vote-buying act that shakes the national finances."

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