[Column] Kwon Oh-bong, Mayor of Yeosu, Do Not Submit Work Report Materials to Yeosu City Council

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] As the contents of an official document recently distributed by Yeosu City to each department head and eup/myeon/dong chief became known, dissatisfaction with Mayor Kwon Oh-bong’s ‘lack of communication’ has arisen from various sectors, including the Yeosu City Council.

It is reported that Mayor Kwon Oh-bong sent an official letter to each department and eup/myeon/dong stating, “In principle, reporting work and submitting materials to members of the National Assembly and city/provincial councilors is prohibited if there is no legal validity.”

Yeosu City said it took this measure to “prevent work gaps and confusion in the internal reporting system,” but some interpret Mayor Kwon Oh-bong’s actions as going beyond mere ‘lack of communication’ to actually escalating ‘conflict.’

The Yeosu City Council expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “It is emotional, an act that stifles legislative activities, and unacceptable,” but Mayor Kwon appears unlikely to budge.

The ‘uncommunicative’ mayor has continued to show unacceptable behavior, such as banning subscriptions to newspapers that reported critical articles and withholding Yeosu City press releases from certain media outlets and reporters.

This measure is interpreted as Mayor Kwon intending to deal only with citizens and organizations, National Assembly members, city councilors, and specific media outlets that align with his views.

The Yeosu City Council reportedly “opposes this measure, saying it stifles legislative activities since public officials have traditionally accompanied them when complaints arise.”

Due to Mayor Kwon’s recent measure, when complaints occur, Yeosu City Council members will have no choice but to be helpless.

They need to receive documents or materials from the responsible department and communicate with the department head or staff to understand the facts and approach solutions, but if documents or reports are not provided, they cannot know or resolve the issues.

If this situation continues, the claim that Mayor Kwon is holding Yeosu citizens hostage and pushing Yeosu City forward in the dark while pressuring the City Council gains credibility.

Accordingly, it is interpreted that Mayor Kwon has played an ultra-strong card to pressure the Yeosu City Council.

Meanwhile, opinions have been raised that the effect of this measure could be fatal to some council members in the 2022 local elections. Groups favorable to Mayor Kwon are expected to be able to carry out legislative activities relatively freely, while opposing groups are unlikely to even attempt to resolve complaints or resident petitions.

Attention should be paid to warnings that Yeosu City could fall into regional and emotional conflicts.