Group Head-Shaving Tears: Jeonbuk Provincial Assembly Members Say "Do Not Cut Saemangeum Budget"

The Democratic Party Jeonbuk Provincial Party Also Announces Head-Shaving Protest Struggle

In protest against the government's policy to cut the Saemangeum SOC budget, 14 Jeonbuk provincial assembly members shaved their heads on the 5th.

On the 5th, the day of the opening ceremony of the 403rd extraordinary session, the Jeonbuk assembly members shaved their heads in front of the provincial assembly building, urging the restoration of the Saemangeum budget.

A Jeonbuk Provincial Assembly Member Wiping Tears After Shaving Head
[Photo by Yonhap News]

They protested, saying that the government and the ruling party shifted the responsibility for the Saemangeum Jamboree fiasco onto Jeonbuk Province and retaliated by drastically cutting the Saemangeum budget.

The assembly members who participated in the head shaving included Vice Chair Lee Jeong-rin, Vice Chair Kim Man-gi, Chair of the Steering Committee Kim Jeong-su, Chair of the Agriculture and Industry Economy Committee Na In-gwon, Chair of the Ethics Special Committee Park Jeong-gyu, spokesperson Yeom Young-seon, and members Lim Seung-sik, Hwang Young-seok, Park Yong-geun, Kim Dong-gu, Yoon Soo-bong, Han Jeong-su, Jang Yeon-guk, and Jin Hyeong-seok.

Before shaving their heads, the assembly members stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration's drastic cut of the Saemangeum SOC budget is budget retaliation that shifts the responsibility for the Jamboree fiasco onto Jeonbuk." The Jeonbuk assembly members plan to continue relay fasting in the future.

Spokesperson Yeom Young-seon said, "The political offensive against Jeonbuk Province over the responsibility for the Jamboree fiasco has gone too far, and eventually, the Saemangeum SOC budget was butchered," urging, "The government and political circles should stop the political offensive against Saemangeum and restore the budget."

He added, "If there is anything Jeonbuk Province must take responsibility for regarding the Jamboree fiasco, it is only right to do so. However, blaming all responsibility on Jeonbuk and making the Saemangeum project a scapegoat can only be seen as a political conspiracy," criticizing the situation.

'Opposition to Saemangeum SOC Budget Cuts' Jeonbuk Provincial Assembly Members Shaving Heads Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "Such unilateral budget cuts are a clear abuse of discretion and power by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, a budget dictatorship wielding the budget violently," he claimed.

Chairman Guk Ju-young said, "To immediately fulfill the promises made by President Yoon Seok-yeol, the hateful standards against the Saemangeum project must be lifted at once, and the Saemangeum budget must be immediately restored," raising his voice.

The Jeonbuk Provincial Party of the Democratic Party of Korea plans to continue the fight for the restoration of the Saemangeum budget in front of the National Assembly on the 7th. At this event, eight Democratic Party members from the Jeonbuk region, including Chairman Han Byung-do, are expected to participate in head shaving.

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, the government held a Cabinet meeting and allocated 7.9215 trillion won to Jeonbuk out of the next year's government budget of 660 trillion won. This amount is 387 billion won (4.7%) less than the 8.0385 trillion won reflected in this year's government budget. The budget for 10 major projects reflected in the Saemangeum master plan was 662.6 billion won as allocated by ministries, but 78% was cut, leaving only 147.9 billion won reflected.

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