[Interview] Kim In-ho, Chair of Seoul Metropolitan Council: "Oh Se-hoon is Pushing Reckless Policies for Reelection"

Chairman Kim expressed his views on Mayor Oh Se-hoon's one-year evaluation, city council personnel authority, and candidacy for Dongdaemun District Mayor during an interview with representatives of Seoul city reporters at 2 p.m. on the 21st.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim In-ho, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, criticized, "Mayor Oh Se-hoon returned after 10 years of being a wanderer and tried to change, but I think the pent-up frustration accumulated over those 10 years is being expressed. I believe he is pushing through overly ambitious policies and campaign projects for re-election."

Chairperson Kim drew attention by strongly criticizing Mayor Oh during an interview with representatives of the Seoul city press corps starting at 2 p.m. on the 21st, seemingly considering that the June 1 local elections were about 40 days away.

He also said, "Although the independence of personnel authority and the introduction of a policy expert system were implemented to mark the 30th anniversary of the revival of local autonomy, I still think the playing field is tilted and there is a long way to go," adding, "We need to become a proper council as soon as possible." He expressed regret, saying, "Personnel authority has been transferred, but organizational authority, budget formulation authority, and policy expert support personnel should follow the National Assembly model. The policy experts who assist council members in their legislative activities belong not to the members but to the Secretariat."

In particular, he emphasized, "Currently, local councils have a command system concentrated in one Secretariat Chief, and the intermediate level of '2nd and 3rd grade director-level' positions is absent. Through the establishment of director-level positions, we need to create a more democratic and stable council organization. Furthermore, I consider the expansion of policy support experts and financial independence of councils, such as budget formulation authority, as long-term tasks."

Also, Kim, who is running in the Dongdaemun District Office primary, said, "As a native of Dongdaemun District who served three terms as a city council member and even as the chairperson representing 110 members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, I think I am the right person. Other candidates say they are prepared, but I am someone who has already finished preparing. If inaugurated on July 1, I believe I can be a competent district mayor from day one."

Below is a Q&A with Chairperson Kim.

- Please share your reflections as the Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council over the past two years.

▲During the national disaster situation, although many confirmed cases appeared in Seoul, I believe we managed well without major issues or disruptions. Personally, I earned the nickname 'Mask Chairperson.' While preparing for a book publication event, I realized all the photos included were of me wearing a mask. During this difficult national period, the council was a place of diverse opinions and debates, demonstrating political skill and leadership. I personally think I led well, and the media and those around me have evaluated it similarly, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. Nine days after I took office, Mayor Park Won-soon passed away. It was personally heartbreaking. If Mayor Park had been here, local projects by council members would have proceeded smoothly. Now, some council members complain that it is difficult to meet Mayor Oh. Mayor Park always met with council members who requested meetings, but Mayor Oh has not held such meetings, which is regrettable. I am deeply concerned about the possible side effects and inconveniences to citizens caused by pushing through excessive and overambitious campaign promises."

- Early in Mayor Oh's term, you proposed free kindergarten meals first, which was accepted, leading to comments like 'Is this different from before?' but there was a disruption in the city council questioning. Looking back, what was the turning point in your relationship with the executive branch?

▲From the city council's perspective, during a period when the mayor was isolated and the position was vacant for a year, it was a time to go beyond mere oversight and monitoring of the executive branch and to cooperate. I emphasized this strongly. A fellow council member even told me to stop talking about cooperation. Although the ruling and opposition parties changed and Mayor Oh was elected after citizen judgment, I still advocated cooperation out of respect for Mayor Oh.

The chairperson group insisted on cooperation. Within that framework, we could have conducted investigations into Naegok-dong or postponed city council questioning, which could have been done based on Mayor Oh's campaign promises. However, I showed much consideration, thinking it was inappropriate to do so immediately after the new mayor took office. Mayor Oh was aware of this, and initially, a cooperative and harmonious atmosphere was created. For example, regarding the Gwanghwamun restructuring, Mayor Oh said he would stop the construction and restore it to its original state, similar to a campaign promise. He tried to halt the construction immediately and conducted public opinion polls, which showed negative feedback. I argued that ignoring the numerous public hearings and citizen consultations held for the Gwanghwamun restructuring and restoring it to its original state would waste sunk costs and taxpayers' money, and that this was not what Mayor Oh intended. The mayor accepted this. Subsequently, the city council advocated for free meals, which Mayor Oh readily accepted. The council thus removed the label of discrimination and selective welfare from Mayor Oh.

Things went well until the Sewol ferry incident caused a major conflict. No words can comfort the victims and their families. The state clearly bore responsibility, and dialogue was necessary. The previous mayor's restructuring plan did not include the type or size of a memorial space desired by the families.

There was a proposal, agreed upon with the city council, for a memorial stone or exhibition facility. However, poor communication escalated the issue. Under the scorching sun, the families confronted the Seoul city government. I repeatedly requested the mayor to resolve the issue amicably, but Mayor Oh did not accept it. Leaving the situation as it was risked social unrest if forced removal occurred, so the council stepped in on a grand scale to mediate.

Alongside this, a supplementary budget was passed before the main budget. I had proven in Gyeonggi Province that universal disaster relief payments using local currency were effective. I persistently believed that Seoul should also release funds during difficult times if taxes were collected. Universal disaster relief payments would encourage virtuous consumption cycles, benefiting both recipients and businesses. Small business owners and self-employed people were on the brink of collapse. However, Mayor Oh focused only on his campaign projects and did not accept this. During the main budget, council members did not secure even a single won for local or campaign projects. Rather than failing to secure funds, they gave up. A budget of 850 billion won was created for small business owners and self-employed people, but the city failed to execute it properly, while Mayor Oh prioritized his own campaign projects. Civic groups saw significant budget cuts, and previous mayoral policies were disparaged as if they were all wrong, which is deeply regrettable.

- Among Mayor Oh's campaign promises, are there any that you think are too ambitious or premature?

▲The basic income application received many applicants. Those who were not selected may feel relative deprivation. It was described as a lottery. Is it appropriate for welfare policies funded by taxpayers' money to be decided by lottery? I am deeply concerned about the feelings of exclusion and alienation among the few selected out of many applicants.

I believe the city should create jobs for those who want to work. For those seeking employment, the city should lead in job creation. If that is not possible, welfare benefits should be provided. I am unsure whether it is right to add benefits to those already receiving welfare. There is always a beginning, but Seoul should not be a testing ground. The mayor's term is short, only one year, so long-term plans and careful consideration are necessary. After all, it is the people's tax money.

- Has Mayor Oh changed compared to 10 years ago?

▲Mayor Park Won-soon was a Democratic Party mayor, and the Democratic Party held the majority in the council, but he did not act as a mere rubber stamp. Many council members acted as opposition within the ruling party. I was one of them. I was not a council member who aligned with the previous mayor's policies. Although efforts were made to communicate through field mayor offices, it is only now that Mayor Oh is experiencing some difficulties in communication.

Mayor Oh's surroundings say he has not changed from 10 years ago. When he left office 10 years ago, it was due to policy misjudgments and mistakes, which was disgraceful. After 10 years of wandering, he tried to change, but I think the pent-up frustration from those 10 years is surfacing. To avoid repeating such mistakes, he is pushing through overly ambitious policies and campaign projects for re-election.

- The Chairperson and the Council of Governors have been important last year and this year, with revisions to the Local Autonomy Act and other needs. What improvements have you seen since last year?

▲The playing field between the executive branch and the council is still very tilted. The responsibility and duty lie with the executive branch, but the system itself is too tilted. Although personnel authority independence and the policy expert system were introduced to mark 30 years of local autonomy revival, I still think the playing field is tilted and there is a long way to go. Institutional completion of local councils must be achieved so that all benefits return to citizens. Proper oversight, monitoring, and deliberation of the executive branch must be ensured for these benefits to reach citizens. Some imbalances have been corrected, but much remains. We must become a proper council as soon as possible. Of course, strengthening council members' capabilities is also necessary. As the chairperson of the Council of Governors, I realized that Seoul, with its 10 million population, has never seriously considered local issues. The theory of local extinction is serious. The metropolitan area is overcrowded and struggling, while local areas face the opposite problem. Some decentralization policies are needed for balanced national development.

- As Chairperson of the Council of Governors, you have worked on personnel authority independence legislation. What areas need the most improvement?

▲Personnel authority has been transferred, but organizational authority, budget formulation authority, and policy expert support personnel should follow the National Assembly model. Although policy experts assisting council members in their legislative activities have been introduced, they belong to the Secretariat, not the members. This is ironic. Each member has their own legislative style and areas of interest. Members should be able to hire policy experts with expertise in their own policy areas to work together, but since they belong to the Secretariat, it is like making the body fit the clothes that were made.

- Any other comments?

▲Since becoming chairperson, I have strengthened relations with the media. Previously, there was relatively more interest in the city executive branch. In developed democracies, the council has a greater role, but media relations are heavily skewed toward the executive branch. The council has improved media relations and gained more attention than before, but the honeymoon period after Mayor Oh's arrival caused the council to suffer losses. Despite good messages during confrontations between the executive and the council, the honeymoon period caused us to be disadvantaged. I still feel regret about media relations.

- I understand you are preparing to run for Dongdaemun District Office. Please share your position.

▲I am running in response to the call of Dongdaemun residents. Dongdaemun District spans the four gates and is the most underdeveloped area. As a result, there are many major pending projects. I have worked for 12 years as a three-term city council member to resolve projects within Dongdaemun and continue to do so. The district's pending projects must be resolved for its development and vision. Among candidates from both parties, I am the only one who fully understands these issues. The district mayor's term is four years, and the district can either develop or regress depending on who leads. To lead at this critical time, one must thoroughly understand Dongdaemun's issues. As a native of Dongdaemun who served three terms as a city council member and as chairperson representing 110 council members, I believe I am the right person. Other candidates say they are prepared, but I have already finished preparing. If inaugurated on July 1, I believe I can be a competent district mayor from day one.

- One of your main campaign promises for Dongdaemun District Office.

▲"Happy Mom City" is a campaign promise addressing the serious low birthrate issue. We plan to build a public postpartum care center. Young people are not having children due to low birthrates, but improper postpartum care causes lifelong suffering. The campaign promises that the district will take responsibility for marriage, childbirth, pregnancy, childcare, and education. During my 12 years of legislative activity, one of the most frequent requests was for public nursing homes for elderly parents. There are three in Jungnang District, but the waiting list is 2-3 years. I worked to open a public nursing home silver care center, which will open the day after tomorrow. The environment around the underpass was poor due to city-owned land, but with the center's establishment and landscaping, the neighborhood has improved. Residents of Dongdaemun will now be able to use the public care center.

- What is the Seoul Metropolitan Council's position on national balanced development and the move of President-elect Yoon's office to Yongsan?

▲The promise was not to enter the Blue House. It is important that the president-elect keeps his promises. However, that promise was about Gwanghwamun. If that had proceeded as promised, the current confusion would have been less. But the sudden shift to Yongsan caused confusion. Mayor Oh is deeply concerned and expressed his views. He went to persuade but was persuaded instead. The move to Yongsan caused confusion among Seoul citizens. Although it is a national issue, it is also a Seoul regional issue, and there was no consultation with Yongsan residents, which is regrettable.

Mayor Oh reportedly expressed concerns about the Yongsan move through the media, saying it should have been more cautious. After conveying this, did he not end up being persuaded instead?

- The Local Autonomy Act revision has been implemented, and councils now exercise personnel authority. Are there areas you think are insufficient or need improvement?

▲Complete independence of local councils requires solving several issues to operate properly as a 'representative body.'

Authorities such as 'staff audit rights' and 'personnel quota adjustment rights' are still held by the mayor. Although the chairperson has authority over personnel and disciplinary requests for affiliated public officials, there is no authority over staff audits or investigations. Despite the separation of personnel authority, these gaps make it difficult to consider it full independence.

Currently, local councils have a command system concentrated in one Secretariat Chief, and the intermediate level of '2nd and 3rd grade director-level' positions is absent. Establishing director-level positions is necessary to create a more democratic and stable council organization. Furthermore, expanding policy support experts and financial independence, such as budget formulation authority, are long-term tasks.