Kim Taeheum Criticizes Complete Cut of Gwangju-South Jeolla Integration Budget: "I Expected This"

Kim Taeheum, Governor of South Chungcheong Province, criticized on April 16 the government after the entire budget of 57.6 billion won allocated for preparing the administrative integration of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province was cut from the supplementary budget bill, stating, "I expected this would happen."

In a statement released that day, Governor Kim pointed out, "The 'Five Regions, Three Special Zones' initiative, which the Lee Jaemyung administration has put forward as the core of balanced regional development, is faltering before even getting started."

Regarding the 20 trillion won support package proposed by the government and the Democratic Party of Korea during discussions on the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, Kim stressed, "There is no legal basis, and the funding sources remain unclear," adding, "Criticism that this is an act of deceiving the residents has ultimately turned out to be true."

Kim Taeheum, Governor of Chungcheongnam-do

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Governor Kim further criticized, "The government cites the impact of the Middle East war and the direction of the supplementary budget as reasons, but these are nothing more than poor excuses. Demanding that local governments issue municipal bonds while shifting debt onto them based on uncertain support amounts to reckless administration."

He continued, "The initiative for integration to overcome the crisis of regional extinction has instead been distorted into a threat to saddle local governments with debt."

Governor Kim stated, "South Chungcheong Province will not rush. We cannot accept integration that imposes suffering on residents and strains local finances. We will pursue genuine integration, secured by financial support and the transfer of authority."

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