Democrats: Resolving Gimpo 'Jiokcheol' Traffic Issues Comes First
People Power Party Criticizes 'Gimpo-Seoul Integration Special Act' Countermeasure
As the bill for the 'Exemption from Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) for the extension of Subway Line 5 to Gimpo' passed the first hurdle in the National Assembly, relations between the ruling and opposition parties have rapidly cooled. Ahead of next year's general election, the People Power Party is pushing a 'Mega City' special law centered on incorporating Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province into Seoul, while the Democratic Party of Korea retaliated by forcibly passing the PFS exemption for Line 5. The People Power Party criticized it as a "political outrage," and the Democratic Party intensified its offensive by urging the prompt passage of related bills.
Ryu Seong-geol, the ruling party secretary of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee from the People Power Party, said at the party's floor strategy meeting held that day, "We fully understand the difficulties in Gimpo's transportation and the hardships of local residents, and the People Power Party and the government are actively preparing measures in some form." He added, "We urge the Democratic Party not to use the citizens' pain as a political tool. We express regret over such matters being forcibly and unilaterally handled without consensus, wielding the majority seats as a weapon."
He strongly protested the Democratic Party's unilateral passage of the amendment to the National Finance Act to exempt a specific region from the PFS, calling it the 'complete PFS deprivation law,' 'National Assembly abandonment law,' and 'regional discrimination law.' Ryu said, "This bill (amendment) effectively specifies projects exempted from the PFS and amends the National Finance Act, which can be considered a basic law," and criticized, "I cannot understand why they forcibly exclude projects from the PFS through legal amendments for matters that should proceed according to the (PFS) procedure."
The day before, the Democratic Party unilaterally passed a bill exempting the PFS for the extension of Subway Line 5 to Gimpo at the Economic and Fiscal Subcommittee of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee. The amendment proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Ju-young exempts PFS investigations for metropolitan transportation facility expansion projects in border areas with a population of over 500,000, based on the Special Act on Border Areas. The intent is to skip the project effect analysis to improve commuting conditions in border areas such as Gimpo and Paju. The People Power Party boycotted the meeting in protest of the bill's passage.
The Democratic Party aims to pass the bill within this month's regular session, but since the full Planning and Finance Committee meeting originally scheduled for the 29th has not been confirmed, rough roads are expected at every hurdle, including the full committee meeting before the 30th and the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party's highest council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "What Gimpo residents are really struggling with is the hellish subway during rush hours, packed like a can of beans," adding, "Their first complaint is to avoid this."
Hong added, "After solving this (rush hour subway hell) complaint, whether to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul or how to develop Gyeonggi Province is a matter for later consideration."
Addressing the People Power Party's opposition to the forced passage of the Subway Line 5 extension PFS exemption bill, he questioned, "Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul is allowed, but the extension and connection of Subway Line 5 is not? What kind of logic is this?" He continued, "Do Gimpo residents only need their resident registration cards changed to Seoul citizens?" and urged, "We hope the government cooperates with the plan to extend Subway Line 5 to Gimpo." He also requested, "Please pass this bill within the current regular session and include it in the related budget."
The People Power Party views the Democratic Party's response as a countermeasure to the 'Gimpo-Seoul Integration Special Act' proposed by the party's New City Project Special Committee and warned that it should not be turned into a political conflict.
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