"How Disrespectful..." Controversy Over Miryang Mayor Park Il-ho's Insult Toward City Council Member

Assemblyman Heo Hong: "Will Resist Until the End"
Mayor: "No Memory and No Response for Administrative Purposes"

Park Il-ho, mayor of Miryang City in Gyeongnam, is embroiled in controversy after allegations surfaced that he verbally abused a city council member from the same party while intoxicated.

Previously, there was a commotion in the region due to inappropriate remarks made by Mayor Park targeting a specific city council member during a press conference.

Heo Hong, Miryang City Council Member.

Heo Hong, a Miryang city council member, claimed during a personal statement at the 246th extraordinary session held on the 19th that “Recently, Mayor Park committed acts of personal defamation against me with obscene language that is unmentionable.”

He criticized, “It is laughable how little respect he has for the city council to act so shamelessly.”

On the other hand, Mayor Park has stated that he does not clearly remember the incident due to the passage of time. He also mentioned in a media interview that he would remain unresponsive because confronting the city council would inevitably disrupt city administration.

According to a report compiled by Asia Economy on the 20th, Miryang City recently held a dinner in August at a local Chinese restaurant, hosted by Mayor Park, to facilitate communication between the executive branch and the city council.

More than 30 people attended, including Chairman Jeong Jeong-gyu, city council members, and senior officials. At that time, only council member Heo Hong was absent from the dinner.

Regarding this, Councilor Heo explained, “Although it was a rare opportunity for communication with the executive branch and arranged at the mayor’s request, I did not attend because the executive branch was engaging in all sorts of obstruction related to forming a special committee on the Rural Tourism Complex Development Project.”

According to attendees, Mayor Park, possibly due to excessive drinking at the dinner, suddenly mentioned Councilor Heo during his closing remarks and used the abusive term “gaeXX.”

Councilor Heo and Mayor Park have frequently clashed since 2015 over allegations of favoritism surrounding the Rural Tourism Complex project in Michon-ri, Danjang-myeon. Their relationship has been strained to the point where they reportedly avoid conversation due to accumulated resentment.

At the extraordinary session that day, Councilor Heo said, “Upon hearing about the mayor’s abusive language, I was shocked and dumbfounded, unable to say a word except to let out a hollow laugh.” He added, “I understand that a senior official quickly took the microphone from the mayor to manage the situation.”

In particular, he noted, “One council member who heard the mayor’s abuse said there was no need to stay in such a place and left abruptly.” That council member is also understood to be from the same party as Mayor Park.

Standing on the podium with a stern expression, Councilor Heo strongly criticized both Mayor Park and the city council in a harsh tone.

He addressed Mayor Park, saying, “Do you feel relieved after calling me ‘gaeXX’? Does it relieve your stress?”

Then, targeting the city council, he said, “The city council is also disgraceful,” and “It is truly shameful.” He continued, “The city council, which prides itself as the representative of the citizens, has been unable to say a word to the mayor and only whispers behind his back, making a mockery of itself.” He expressed anger toward fellow council members who overlooked Mayor Park’s disgraceful behavior.

He added, “The city council is the representative body of the citizens that should check and monitor city administration and lead the development of Miryang,” but lamented, “Citizens should know the current state of the Miryang city council; it is shameful and causes a sense of self-disgust.”

He concluded, “Citizens must stand up clearly. This is the reality of Miryang city administration and the true face of the Miryang mayor,” and raised his voice, “I will be angry and resist to the end for our citizens and for Miryang, which is heading toward ruin.”

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