Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, through the policy speech at the regular council meeting on the 12th, stated, "An accident occurred where the Dorim pedestrian overpass, built only 6 years ago, collapsed, threatening the safety of residents, causing inconvenience to residents' passage along with property damage of about 3 billion KRW, and conflicts intensified with overnight sit-ins and hunger strikes over the Seoul city project of building the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center. Who is this for?" He called for cooperation for genuine local autonomy for residents' lives... "The ‘Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo’ surpassed 4 million visitors by the end of May, just two months after opening, creating a successful model of local administration in Korea. If Suncheon City did it, Yeongdeungpo can do it too. Now, let's finally practice proper local autonomy and community autonomy!" he emphasized.
Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu (photo), candidly expressed his frustration over political attacks such as hunger strikes led mainly by opposition parties following the announcement of Seoul City's plan to build the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center in Yeouido Park during his policy speech at the regular council meeting that began on the 12th, drawing attention.
In particular, he appealed to reflect on the true meaning of local autonomy by comparing it to the successfully progressing 'Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo,' receiving applause from residents.
Mayor Choi led his remarks by saying, "Where did I find the answer to how genuine local autonomy should be? I found it in Suncheon, a small local city with a population of only 280,000."
He mentioned that the ‘Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo,’ held in a local city at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula since April 1 this year, surpassed 4 million visitors by the end of May, just two months after opening, creating a successful model of local administration in Korea.
Mayor Choi made the issue vivid by sharing his own experience visiting the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo site.
He emphasized that the secret to this success is the future-oriented policies suited to the region and the cooperative governance efforts of Suncheon citizens, city hall, and the city council.
He explained that the current mayor of Suncheon ran as an independent candidate in the local elections on June 1 last year and, unlike other candidates, proposed future-investing pledges such as the ‘successful hosting of the Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo’ instead of populism like COVID-19 disaster relief payments.
Suncheon citizens overwhelmingly supported this independent mayor candidate with 55% of the vote. Furthermore, the Suncheon City Council, where 20 out of 25 members are from the Democratic Party, approved the city’s own budget to cover 127.9 billion KRW of the total 174.8 billion KRW budget needed for the garden expo, excluding 46.9 billion KRW in national and provincial subsidies, which he admired.
As a result of Suncheon City Hall, the city council, and citizens uniting and working together for regional development, Suncheon has demonstrated a successful case of regional development in the era of local autonomy with the title of ‘Korea’s Ecological Capital.’
Mayor Choi conveyed that "the president who attended the opening ceremony also mentioned, ‘If local governments can do this, there is no need for the central government to hold authority,’ highly appreciating the potential of local autonomy."
The success of the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo has become an opportunity for Suncheon City to attract companies such as Hanwha Aerospace to the industrial complexes it developed. It has been selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s ‘Competitiveness Enhancement Project for Aging Core Industrial Complexes,’ bringing regional development and residents’ benefits beyond party lines.
He pointed out these aspects as very enviable.
Mayor Choi expressed regret, saying, "True local autonomy should be about escaping the ideology and political strife of central politics, solving local problems by ourselves, and wiping away the sweat and tears of residents. But how about our Yeongdeungpo?"
Earlier this year, an accident occurred where the Dorim pedestrian overpass, built only 6 years ago, collapsed, threatening residents’ safety and causing inconvenience to their passage along with property damage amounting to about 3 billion KRW. If the administration had been faithful to the basics and had a solid foundation, such an accident would not have happened. He also criticized that the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center relocation project, a Seoul city project and policy decision, has become politicized, wasting administrative power that should serve residents.
Regarding the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center construction, the Yeongdeungpo District Council conducted a six-month administrative investigation through a special committee, summoning Seoul city officials and district officials as witnesses, but so far, no legal violations have been confirmed.
Also, according to legal advice commissioned by the Yeongdeungpo District Council itself at the request of council members regarding the possibility of indefinite free use of district-owned land and the application of the principle of protecting residents’ trust due to the relocation of the construction site, the district office has no legal authority under the Act on the Management of Public Property (abbreviated as Public Property Act) for indefinite free use, and Seoul City has no liability for damages related to the relocation of the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center site changed by Seoul City, he argued.
Mayor Choi asked, "The official appearance of the term ‘2nd Sejong Cultural Center construction in Yeongdeungpo’ was through a Seoul City press release 3 years and 6 months ago in December 2019. Why was a 5-meter-high screening wall urgently installed for promoting the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center at the Munrae-dong public open space, even though there was an existing rose fence, just before the April 2020 general election when the then Seoul mayor announced the plan?"
He criticized that for the past three years, no construction has been done, but the tall construction screening wall has frustrated local residents and misled them into thinking construction would start soon.
He said, "Isn’t this the same as the Seoul mayor announcing the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center construction in Yeouido Park in early March this year and installing a tall promotional screening wall in Yeouido Park three months later in June?"
Mayor Choi said, "The removal of the screening wall is an issue unrelated to the relocation of the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center. The Yeongdeungpo District Council formed a special committee over the past six months to conduct legal reviews and investigations, and this matter should be discussed there. So, I wonder why the majority party members have to block the removal of the Munrae-dong public open space screening wall and endure 14 days of hunger strikes and overnight sit-ins."
He said that when they were fasting in front of the mayor’s office on the 3rd floor of the district office and illegally pitched tents for overnight sit-ins in the front yard at 4:15 a.m., he frequently tried to communicate and explained that granting indefinite free use of district-owned property is beyond the authority under the Public Property Act.
Nevertheless, he said he felt very heartbroken seeing them hold life-risking hunger strikes and press conferences framing him as an ‘uncommunicative mayor’ as if no communication had ever taken place and refusing to acknowledge the relevant provisions of the Public Property Act.
Mayor Choi said, "No one is above the law. Especially legislative and executive bodies must follow this. Politicians and public officials are also obligated to comply with legal regulations. For whom and for what are these hunger strikes and overnight sit-ins? Are they for a specific political party? For central politicians? Shouldn’t they truly fear the residents? This is my heartfelt regret."
He continued, "I believe one of the biggest obstacles to the development of local autonomy is the unchanging thoughts and actions of some central politicians. Now is the time to realize genuine local autonomy that looks only to residents, not to specific central politicians who influence nominations," he emphasized.
Mayor Choi said, "In the era of local autonomy, the central government no longer takes responsibility for regional development. At the beginning of local autonomy, differences in development between regions were not noticeable, but after 30 years, these gaps have become visible."
He expressed regret that while the neighboring Guro Industrial Complex developed into an advanced digital complex over Yeongdeungpo’s 30 years of local autonomy, the Munrae-dong machinery and metal industrial complex remains as it was in the past.
He stressed, "Where do these development differences come from? What is the cause? Central politics focuses on national issues such as security and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and economic recovery, rather than local issues. Our local matters should be addressed by residents, professional administrators, and local politicians working together to communicate and solve regional issues."
Mayor Choi said, "Many council members will remember that at the inauguration ceremony of the 8th elected mayor a year ago, I urged, ‘Let’s do administration that has no ruling or opposition party, no regional origin, no party affiliation, and looks only to residents.’ We all must be honest before residents and history. Looking back at this moment, we must leave records and policy decisions that are not shameful to future generations."
Finally, he said, "I want to be a mayor who plants seeds for the future and posterity of Yeongdeungpo, not one who just reaps achievements and leaves records. With the heart of sowing precious seeds for a happy 100-year future for Yeongdeungpo residents, I will look ahead to the direction of future society’s development, set long-term visions, and steadily pursue them."
"Let us all unite and create a successful case of proper local autonomy here in Yeongdeungpo!! If Suncheon City did it, we in Yeongdeungpo can do it too. Now, let’s finally practice proper local autonomy and community autonomy," he concluded.
The National Assembly in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, is embroiled in conflict due to a divided parliament.
Meanwhile, the Yeongdeungpo District Council is also experiencing similar conflicts, making Mayor Choi Ho-kwon’s policy speech on this day appear to be moving for residents.
Regardless of political gains and losses, residents of Yeongdeungpo and Seoul watch with regret, wondering when genuine community politics for the true benefit of residents, that is, proper local autonomy, will finally come.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
