Eunji Chae, Gwangju City Council Member, "Need to Explore Ways to Utilize City's Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation Fund"

Gwangju Metropolitan Council member Chae Eun-ji urged the exploration of ways to utilize the Gwangju City Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund amid the prolonged deterioration of inter-Korean relations following the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

In a report on the Democratic Human Rights and Peace Bureau's work, Councilor Chae stated, “The fund intended to contribute to peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula and to establish and revitalize a regional peace foundation is not being properly utilized and is merely accumulating without any meaningful purpose,” calling for a review of ways to use the fund.

Gwangju City enacted an ordinance on inter-Korean exchange and cooperation in 2003 and established and has been operating the Gwangju Metropolitan City Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund since November 25, 2005, to smoothly promote cooperative projects.

To date, the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund accumulated in Gwangju amounts to approximately 6.386 billion won. While cooperative projects were promoted according to the government’s inter-Korean relations policy, related projects have decreased or disappeared as relations have frozen.

Councilor Chae pointed out, “Since 2020, the fund has not even been formed, and in the past three years, only two expenditures have been made to support exhibition and commemorative event costs,” adding, “The fund’s effectiveness is declining.”

She continued, “Other local governments have either abolished related ordinances, converted the funds to general accounts, or expanded their usage,” and said, “Rather than premature abolition, it is time for in-depth consideration, such as discovering ways to utilize the fund.”

She also urged, “This year, as Gwangju is experiencing difficulties in financial management due to an unprecedented tax revenue downturn, please actively consider ways to utilize the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund in a timely manner.”

In response, Park Yong-su, head of the Democratic Human Rights and Peace Bureau, said, “It is true that related projects and activities have been greatly reduced due to the deteriorated external environment of inter-Korean relations,” adding, “Continuing to discover projects for establishing a peace foundation and exploring ways to utilize the fund is a good proposal.”

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