"Park Younghan Accused of Lobbying for District Budget Cuts"... Mayor Kim Gilsung of Jung-gu, Seoul, Strongly Criticizes

34 Billion Won for Seosomun Resource Recycling Facility and Sindang Station Parking Tower
Criticism Over Budget Cut Attempt by Council Member from the Same Party

Kim Gilsung, Mayor of Jung-gu, Seoul, strongly criticized Park Younghan, Seoul Metropolitan Council member (Jung-gu District 1), for allegedly attempting to lobby for budget cuts in Jung-gu.

At the closing ceremony of the 297th regular session of the Jung-gu Council on the 15th, Mayor Kim directly denounced Councilman Park's attempt to reduce the budget, stating, "No matter the outcome or justification, holding residents' interests hostage for political calculations can never be justified." Although the budget in question was ultimately approved as originally proposed, Mayor Kim pointed to the attempt itself as problematic.

Kim Gilsung, Mayor of Jung-gu, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Jung-gu Council on the 15th. Provided by Jung-gu.

The remarks were prompted by a five-minute speech from Councilwoman Yang Eunmi of the Jung-gu Council. During her address, Councilwoman Yang pointed out, "A Seoul Metropolitan Council member representing Jung-gu has been asking members of the city budget committee to cut next year's city subsidies allocated to Jung-gu." Council Chairman Yoon Panoh also commented, "This is an unacceptable case of commissioned budget cuts," and requested Mayor Kim to explain the circumstances.

Mayor Kim said, "On December 9, I was informed by the relevant Seoul city department that two project budgets, which had passed smoothly through the city council's standing committee, were completely cut by the budget committee. After inquiring, I confirmed that there had been a request from Councilman Park Younghan." Councilman Park was elected in 2022 as a member of the People Power Party representing Jung-gu District 1, but is not currently a member of the budget committee. Mayor Kim is also a member of the People Power Party, indicating that this conflict arose within the same party.

The budgets in question are 3.2 billion won for the modernization of the Seosomun Resource Recycling Facility and 200 million won for the construction of a parking tower at Sindang Station public parking lot.

The Seosomun Resource Recycling Facility, established in 1999, is the oldest of its kind in Seoul. Frequent breakdowns and poor working conditions have threatened worker safety, and with a ban on direct landfill of waste in the metropolitan area set to take effect next year, the facility's role is becoming increasingly important. Jung-gu has coordinated with Seoul city to secure 3.2 billion won in city funding for next year's modernization project-nearly half of the total project cost of 6.9 billion won.

The construction of the Sindang Station public parking tower, a long-standing wish of residents in Sindang 5-dong, is underway. The mechanical parking tower will be six stories above ground and accommodate a total of 123 vehicles. Design has been completed, and preparations such as selecting a construction company and relocating power distribution boxes have begun ahead of breaking ground. A total of 7.9 billion won has been allocated through this year, and an additional 4.3 billion won is required, including 2.8 billion won in city funding for next year.

In her five-minute speech, Councilwoman Yang stated, "Just the existence of such discussions undermines trust in administration and politics. The council member involved must clearly explain their position and the circumstances to the residents. The budget is a public asset directly tied to residents' lives and should never be determined by any individual's political interests."

Mayor Kim emphasized, "Although I could not understand Councilman Park's actions, I worked desperately to prevent the cuts by meeting with budget committee members and thoroughly explaining the significance and urgency of the projects. The Seosomun Resource Recycling Facility modernization is essential for protecting Jung-gu's environment, and the construction of the Sindang Station public parking tower is a decades-old wish of the residents that must be fulfilled." He added, "We will thoroughly investigate the facts of this matter and disclose the results truthfully to the residents."

Meanwhile, Jung-gu officials stated that Councilman Park continues to deny the allegations.

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