"Concerns Over Neglect of Health Care and Environmental Policies"… Civic Groups Criticize Incheon City's Organizational Restructuring Plan

Incheon City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Citizens' groups continue to voice criticism over the organizational restructuring that Incheon City plans to implement in February next year.

The city recently announced a restructuring plan that includes establishing the Global City Bureau, Future Industry Bureau, and Public Relations Headquarters, as well as expanding and strengthening the Citizen Safety Headquarters to realize the vision and administrative goals of the 8th elected term.

Among the restructuring proposals is changing the name of the Health and Hygiene Bureau to the Health Bureau and incorporating it into the Citizen Safety Headquarters, and assigning the Energy Policy Division, which belonged to the consolidated Resource Circulation and Energy Headquarters, to the Future Industry Bureau instead of the Environment Bureau.

In response, civic groups have opposed the plan, expressing concerns that such restructuring could lead to neglect of policies in the health and environmental sectors.

On the 21st, the Incheon Environmental Movement Federation issued a statement saying, "Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok declared the '2045 Incheon City Carbon Neutrality Vision' at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Low Carbon City International Forum on the 6th, which is five years earlier than the national carbon neutrality target of 2050. If implemented, this is certainly commendable and worthy of support," adding, "However, we cannot help but reasonably doubt whether Incheon City truly has the will for carbon neutrality or if it is merely lip service."

The organization pointed out, "The day after declaring the carbon neutrality vision, on the 7th, Incheon City announced a large-scale restructuring plan, which includes assigning the Energy Policy Division, previously under the consolidated Resource Circulation and Energy Headquarters, to the Future Industry Bureau instead of the Environment Bureau," and added, "Considering that 86.8% of South Korea's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 came from the energy sector, this is difficult to understand."

The Incheon Environmental Movement Federation urged, "Since energy, greenhouse gases, and carbon neutrality are closely interconnected and must operate organically, the Incheon City Energy Policy Division should be placed under the Environment Bureau, not the Future Industry Bureau."

Earlier, the Incheon Public Medical Forum, consisting of six organizations including the National Health and Medical Industry Union Incheon-Bucheon Headquarters and the Incheon Peace Welfare Solidarity, also issued a statement on the 20th demanding, "Incheon City cancel its plan to include health under the safety sector and establish a system integrating health and welfare."

The group argued, "According to the ordinance draft announced for legislative notice this month, the Health and Hygiene Bureau will be incorporated into the Citizen Safety Headquarters," and stated, "The Citizen Safety Headquarters mainly promotes disaster and safety policy projects, but if only the safety role is emphasized, there is a risk of neglecting health and medical policies that guarantee citizens' right to health."

They continued, "Health policies must be interrelated with welfare policies. To identify welfare blind spots, as in the case of the 'Seo-gu family death incident,' close coordination between health and welfare is essential," emphasizing, "A Health and Welfare Headquarters (tentative name) should be established by grouping the Health Bureau, Welfare Bureau, and Women and Family Bureau."