Residents Aged 65 and Over in Jung-gu, Seoul Will No Longer Receive 20,000 Won Monthly Transportation Allowance Next Year... Why?

[Seoul District News] Jung-gu Criticizes Council's Arbitrary Budget Cuts for Neglecting Public Welfare
Ignoring Residents' Lives, Strong Regret Expressed to Jung-gu Council Over Next Year's Budget Slash -

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) expressed "deep regret" over the drastically reduced 2023 main budget and unsubmitted proposals at the closing ceremony of the 275th Jung-gu Council regular meeting held on the 20th, stating that the residents were completely disregarded.

On that day, the 2023 project budget plan totaling 575.6 billion KRW was finally revised and approved at 556.5 billion KRW. The general account (525.1 billion KRW) was cut by about 18.7 billion KRW, and the special account (50.5 billion KRW) was cut by 239 million KRW. The total cut amount was 19 billion KRW.

The Jung-gu Council left the ordinances submitted by the district unsubmitted to the standing committee and drastically cut the budgets for pledged projects and new projects without valid reasons.

The district said, "There is a growing voice of concern over the council's behavior that goes against the will of the residents."

Five proposals closely related to residents' lives, including the Ordinance on Supporting Transportation Expenses for the Elderly in Jung-gu, Seoul (20,000 KRW per month) and the Partial Amendment to the Ordinance on Childbirth and Childcare Support in Jung-gu, Seoul, were not even submitted to the standing committee by the council, thus not receiving any opportunity for review.

The elderly transportation support project, which had completed the difficult consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and was recognized by the government for its necessity and validity, was not even submitted to the standing committee. As a result, the planned transportation expense payments for seniors aged 65 and over starting next year are inevitably disrupted.

In a situation where national competitiveness is threatened by low birth rates, Jung-gu attempted to implement bold policies to expand childbirth support funds by revising the childbirth and childcare support ordinance, but the council's failure to submit it to the standing committee twice only caused distrust toward the council.

The livelihood economy budget, prepared to revitalize the local economy amid the global economic recession, was also cut without valid reasons, impacting support for small business owners and youth employment assistance.

Support for daily life recovery for residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic also became distant. Programs at community centers, support projects for everyday sports, cultural space creation and festival projects, and the outsourcing fees for seven sports facilities responsible for residents' health were all cut in large chunks without proper explanation.

Urban development projects, a long-cherished wish of Jung-gu residents and a critical issue concerning the protection of residents' property rights, are now at risk of disappearing.

The most deplorable point is that the entire personnel expenses for some employees already hired and working were cut. Personnel expenses are mandatory costs that must be allocated, yet the council used the budget, which is vital for employees' livelihoods, as leverage to hinder the district office's project execution.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong strongly condemned, saying, "If some council members' reckless budget cuts tie the hands of the newly appointed mayor, the damage will inevitably fall on the residents," and added, "I hope the Jung-gu Council prioritizes the residents and carries out legislative activities for them."

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