Bora Kim: "Carbon Neutrality Plan Exceeded by 139%"...Directly Refutes Jangyeon Kim's Green New Deal Criticism

Bora Kim, Anseong Mayoral Candidate
Refutes Jangyeon Kim's Criticism of "Distorting the Green New Deal"
"Claim of 720 Billion Won in New Funding Is Untrue"
Striking Back Amid Anseong Green New Deal Controversy
"Advanced Pledges for the Ninth Administration... Completing a Greener Anseong"

Bora Kim, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Anseong, has strongly refuted the criticism from People Power Party candidate Jangyeon Kim regarding the "Anseong-Style Green New Deal Policy," calling it a "distortion of facts and conceptual confusion."

Kim Bora, Candidate for Mayor of Anseong. Provided by Candidate Kim Bora

On the 19th, candidate Bora Kim issued a statement, saying, "I would like to clarify the facts so that voters in Anseong are not swayed by further negative campaigning," and proceeded to systematically counter the arguments made by Jangyeon Kim's camp.

First, Kim explained that the "Anseong-Style Green New Deal Comprehensive Plan" was established in October 2020, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12% by 2025 across various sectors, including construction, transportation, ecology, energy, resources, and disaster management. She also emphasized that following the enforcement of the "Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth" in 2022, the initiative has since been expanded and integrated into the "Anseong City Carbon Neutral and Green Growth Basic Plan (2025–2030)."

Kim’s campaign particularly criticized Jangyeon Kim’s claim of "a new budget of 720 billion won being injected from 2021 to 2025," pointing out, "This is a one-sided piece of information that distorts the reality by making it seem as though a large amount of new project funding was injected, when in fact it was an integrated management framework for existing environment, climate, and disaster-related projects."

Kim further argued, "The Anseong-Style Green New Deal is not about indiscriminately increasing new projects, but about managing existing policies more systematically to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets. Misleading the public into thinking that a new budget of 720 billion won was injected could create a false perception among citizens."

She also pointed out that Jangyeon Kim was confusing the concepts of greenhouse gas reduction and fine dust reduction. Kim explained, "Carbon neutrality policies aim to reduce greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, which is the core cause of the climate crisis. The objectives and management systems of these policies are different from those for fine dust problems."

Kim presented actual results as well. In 2018, Anseong's greenhouse gas emissions stood at 2,004,000 tons, with a target of 1,604,000 tons set for 2025. However, according to the 2025 implementation review, actual emissions were analyzed at 1,592,000 tons, meaning an additional reduction of 12,000 tons beyond the target. Kim’s camp assessed this as "an achievement exceeding the reduction target by approximately 139%."

She also reported a significant drop in annual average ultra-fine dust concentration, from 30㎍/㎥ in 2018 to 19㎍/㎥ in 2024. Kim emphasized, "Anseong’s fine dust reduction policy has been consistently highly evaluated by credible institutions."

Bora Kim added, "Behind these achievements are the citizens who voluntarily participated in carbon neutrality initiatives and the dedication of public officials who worked to improve air quality. The achievements created by the citizens and the city together must not be undervalued by baseless negative attacks."

Meanwhile, Kim has proposed "Anseong, a Clean Energy City Powered by Sunlight" as a key pledge for the ninth civil administration. Major pledges include: ▲the Anseong-Style Solar Pension Project ▲establishment of the Anseong Environmental Energy Foundation ▲creation of a RE100 Energy Hub in the semiconductor-specialized complex ▲expansion of agrivoltaics and energy self-sufficient villages ▲introduction of a citizen climate action mileage system ▲construction of urban wind corridor forests ▲expansion of eco-friendly vehicle subsidies ▲pilot projects for zero-energy public buildings ▲and the establishment of an integrated big data center for environment, transportation, and energy.

Bora Kim concluded, "Who do you think can take responsibility for the future of Anseong— a candidate who puts energy saving into practice even during campaigning, or a candidate who confuses the basic concepts of greenhouse gases and fine dust while engaging in indiscriminate slander? During the ninth civil administration, I am confident that with a practical and comprehensive energy strategy, Anseong will become the leading carbon-neutral city in Korea and a clean, sun-powered city offering real benefits to its citizens."

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