'People's Livelihood Neglected, Only Money for Overseas Travel Taken...' Goyang City Public Officials Union Condemns City Council

"Inability to Work Due to Accumulated Personnel Backlog and Budget Approval Failure"
"If Not Normalized, Will Condemn in Solidarity with Goyang City Public Institution Unions" Warning
Democratic Party City Council Member, "Fully Reflect All 18 Amendments to the Main Budget"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Amid ongoing sharp conflicts between Goyang City and the Goyang City Council over the new year’s main budget and organizational restructuring plan, the Goyang City Public Officials Labor Union (hereinafter Gopongno) has strongly opposed the situation.

The Goyang City Public Officials Union urged the City Council on the 26th to promptly approve the "2023 Municipal Budget Normalization and Organizational Restructuring Plan." [Photo by Goyang City Public Officials Union]

On the 26th, Gopongno issued a statement condemning the results of the main budget review and urged the "normalization of the 2023 municipal budget and prompt approval of the organizational restructuring plan."

In particular, the City Council has caused public outrage among the public service community and citizens by fully approving four City Council budget items, including overseas training and business trip expenses for council members, totaling 240 million KRW, without any cuts.

In the statement, Gopongno condemned, "The council members were elected to work for the citizens, but the City Council is neglecting people’s livelihoods and is only busy securing their own interests, planning overseas trips. Such behavior shifts the burden onto citizens and is shameless and conscienceless."

Jang Hye-jin, Chairperson of Gopongno, directly criticized the City Council, saying, "Public officials are suffering due to accumulated personnel stagnation caused by the failure to pass the organizational restructuring plan," and added, "The budget has not been properly approved either, making it impossible to work."

She continued, "The City Council should promptly convene a special session to normalize the livelihood budget and business promotion expenses budget and immediately approve the organizational restructuring plan," and declared, "If they do not comply, we will launch a large-scale protest rally through the Goyang City Public Institution Labor Union Solidarity."

Earlier, despite conflicts between Goyang City and the City Council, the 2023 main budget was finally passed on the 20th after many twists and turns, but the City Council cut 11 billion KRW from 308 items, including the entire budget for major campaign projects of the 8th elected administration and all business promotion expenses for city officials.

According to the city, when Mayor Lee Dong-hwan allocated the budget by cutting various expenses including support for resident autonomy committee operations, Democratic Party city council members opposed this and demanded that all 18 amendment proposals to the main budget be fully reflected, leading to confrontation.

Gopongno also conveyed to Mayor Lee Dong-hwan that "a magnanimous political approach through cooperative governance with the council is necessary."