[Metro24 Hours] 'What is the basis?' Verification must start with the mayor

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Recently, I was surprised twice while reading a media report reported by Baek Kyung-hyun, the mayor of Guri City. The first surprise was the claim that "a figure involved in the Daejang-dong incident pocketed hundreds of billions of won even in Guri City," and the second was the confidence in declaring it a crime beyond mere suspicion.

According to the media report, Mayor Baek stated, "The Daejang-dong planning team infiltrated the Guri Urban Corporation, established a real estate agency, and embezzled 40 billion won." He also said, "The related parties have been reported, and police investigations and Board of Audit and Inspection audits are underway." The fact that a sitting local government head mentioned this directly caused a stir. Mayor Baek further said, "Those who make thousands of billions of won at a time earned 40 billion won in Guri City, and during the audit, they were retired and have now moved to the Hanam Urban Corporation."

However, Mayor Baek did not provide evidence regarding his claim of embezzling 40 billion won. Apart from one employee leaving due to management difficulties, it is reported that there are no ongoing audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection or police investigations related to this matter. That said, it cannot be concluded that Mayor Baek's report is false. The parties involved strongly deny it as "rumors" and vow to "hold accountability."

If Mayor Baek's report is proven false, he would naturally bear legal responsibility for damaging the honor of the organization and its members he leads, as well as political and moral responsibility. If he disclosed this to the media without verifying the facts, it shows a lack of capability. The city council said, "It is incomprehensible and completely inconsistent." Citizens responded, "The mayor's intention in revealing this to the media is suspicious."

Since his inauguration in July last year, Mayor Baek has faced public criticism due to prolonged delays in administrative procedures such as permits for large-scale local development projects. Although Guri City urgently held a briefing denying the media's repeated criticisms as "inaccurate," Mayor Baek, who is responsible for city administration, did not appear, which only fueled controversy.

Additionally, by refusing the appointment of the deputy mayor from Gyeonggi Province while stating he would hire a fixed-term deputy mayor, an "administrative vacuum" has persisted for seven months without a deputy mayor. Although he explained this as "seeking new talent with expertise," some positions were filled again by retired public officials. There are even rumors that employees are being forced to resign themselves through "audits," "requests for investigations," and "complaints and accusations." In fact, since the transition committee period, the organization has become rigid due to ongoing audits, and retirements have surged. Therefore, inside and outside the city, there is suspicion that this is an "excessive placement of his own people."

Last year, Guri City applied for 11.2 billion won in special grants (national funds) in the second half but secured only 800 million won, forecasting setbacks in the promotion of key projects in Guri City, which has a financial independence ratio of 24.7%. In his inaugural speech for the 8th term of the civilian government, Mayor Baek said, "It is very regrettable to see cases of administrative communication failures and trial and error." This was interpreted as criticism of the previous administration.

It is problematic to conduct city administration, which greatly affects citizens' lives, in this manner. Mayor Baek, who has served as a public official for decades and has two years of experience as mayor, should at least have studied the basics of administration and internalized administrative principles. Looking at the current Guri city administration, it is questionable whether the organization is functioning well and whether basic procedures are being followed.

It is very dangerous when a person with misguided convictions pushes through with force. If the person responsible for city administration acts recklessly and arbitrarily, they must be evaluated afterward at the very least. We must watch closely. Only then will the taxes we pay be used properly, and disasters will not be repeated.