Rep. Lee Hyung-seok: "Gwangju Driver's License Test Center Smooth Sailing... Stop the Fake News from People Power Party"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hyung-seok emphasized on the 22nd that "the Gwangju Driver's License Test Center is a project actively promoted by the Democratic Party."

In a statement released that day, he said, "Recently, the driver's license test center has been mentioned in internet cafes as if it does not exist in Gwangju," adding, "I strongly suspect that some members of the People Power Party are cleverly spreading fake news to attack the Democratic Party and divide local public opinion."

During the 2020 National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit and the 2021 budget review process, Lee held in-depth consultations with Gwangju Metropolitan City, the National Police Agency, and the Korea Road Traffic Authority regarding the project plan and budget preparation methods, after which a practical project plan was established and related budget (total project cost of 29 billion KRW) was reflected.

In particular, the Democratic Party and Lee persuaded members of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and the Special Budget and Accounts Committee of the necessity of the project to expedite the construction of the driver's license test center and succeeded in building consensus.

As a result, the budget for the construction of the Gwangju Driver's License Test Center, which was not originally included in the government budget proposal, was newly reflected in the 2021 budget.

Currently, the project is progressing smoothly with the inclusion of a design implementation budget of about 1.9 billion KRW (2021 budget) and land acquisition and compensation costs of 9.5 billion KRW (2022 budget) for the driver's license test center.

Lee stated, "This project is being carried out without any setbacks. I strongly express my regret toward some People Power Party officials and netizens who, hiding behind anonymity without properly understanding the basic facts, are misleading the citizens of Gwangju."

He added, "We will strongly respond to actions that maliciously spread fake news to divide local public opinion and incite conflict."