Jeon Jae-su Says "Remove Showcase Budgets" vs Park Hyungjun's "100 Million Won for Youth"... A Look at Busan Mayoral Election Pledges

Park Highlights Detailed Pledges Backed by Executive Capability

Jeon Pinpoints Flaws in Opponent’s Promises with Targeted Criticism

As the calendar for the Busan mayoral election turns to a new page, the rivalry between Jeon Jae-su, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate, and Hyungjun Park, the People Power Party candidate, is heating up.

Incumbent Mayor Park is capturing voters' attention by connecting his "tangible achievements" to the broader vision of a "global city Busan" through a series of detailed pledges. In contrast, challenger Jeon is labeling these as "showcase administration" and calling for a "people-first" approach. The situation resembles a siege warfare dynamic, with Park announcing pledges and Jeon attacking them.

An official from Park's campaign explained that Park's pledges emphasize concrete figures and feasibility, seemingly aiming to showcase his "experience" rather than making vague slogans.

On April 29, Park announced his first major pledge: the "100 Million Won for Youth" initiative. Under this "Busan-style composite income plan," if a young person saves 30 million won, the Busan city government will match it with 70 million won, helping them build assets totaling 100 million won.

This plan is designed to go beyond simple cash welfare by supporting asset-building for young people. Park stressed the policy's uniqueness, saying, "Basic income gets consumed and disappears, but composite income becomes an asset accumulated for the future."

On May 7, Park introduced more relatable pledges such as the "Busan Best Citizen Pass" and "15-Minute Public Education." These include the introduction of a pass providing annual cultural and sports benefits worth 300,000 won, and the construction of public learning centers in all 16 districts to reduce education and cultural expenses. Park's team stated, "We aim to bring the pride of being ranked sixth in Asia's most livable cities into citizens' daily lives."

Hyungjun Park, Candidate for Mayor of Busan.
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Candidate Jeon is highlighting his distinctive stance by pinpointing and sharply criticizing Park's pledges. Jeon has characterized Park's key policies as "showcase budgets" that need to be reset.

Jeon specifically targeted projects like the "Construction of a Pompidou Art Museum branch" and "budget support for foreign opera companies." On May 4, he provocatively stated, "I will stop showcase budgets that cost billions of won." He pledged to cut these budgets and instead allocate funds to his "100-Day Emergency Measures for Livelihood in Busan."

Jeon argues that urgent support for citizens struggling to make ends meet—such as fuel subsidies for small freight truck drivers and energy vouchers for small business owners—should come first. His stance is to continue so-called "progressive policies" that emphasize redistribution, even at the local government level.

Jeon has also focused on criticizing "safety management" and the "lack of execution." At the scene of the Man Deok–Centum deep tunnel subsidence accident on May 6, he criticized, "Uncommunicative administration has heightened citizens' anxiety." On the following day, regarding delays in the Yongho-dong wireless tram project, he pressed Park by stating, "Residents' daily lives come first." At the opening of his campaign office on May 9, Jeon directly attacked Park's "World-Class Busan" pledge as "an abstract notion with no substance."

In response to Jeon's criticism of "showcase administration," Park's camp has launched a counterattack. They clarified that projects Jeon wants to cut, such as the "Pompidou Art Museum branch," are essential infrastructure that determine Busan's competitiveness as a global city.

Jeon Jae-su, candidate for Mayor of Busan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park's camp also retorted that many of Jeon's livelihood-focused pledges are already being implemented by the Busan city government, suggesting that this indicates a lack of study or preparation. Park's team remarked, "It's easy to tear things down but hard to build them. Jeon only tears down. At this level, it's practically an admission of incompetence."

The local political scene is analyzing this local election as a contest between "experience," emphasizing proven administrative capability, and "declaration," supporting new challenges. While Park is said to be unveiling a blueprint for the city based on his deep understanding of municipal affairs, Jeon is being evaluated as focusing less on concrete pledges and more on pinpointing the weaknesses in his opponent's promises.

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