Yang Su-hyun, Mayor of Yangju City: "What Yangju Needs Is Politics, Not Political Strife"

Rebuttal to the Statement Issued in the Name of 'Yangju City Council Democratic Party Council Members' Regarding the Comprehensive Funeral Facility

Yang Soo-hyun, Mayor of Yangju City, Yoon Chang-chul, Chairman, and about 40 city council members conducted benchmarking of comprehensive funeral facilities in Yongin City and Hwaseong City on July 11 last year to establish a comprehensive funeral facility.

Gyeonggi Yangju City (Mayor Kang Su-hyun) pointed out on the 31st that the statement on the comprehensive funeral facility issued under the name of the ‘Yangju City Council Democratic Party city council members’ is essentially opposing the construction of the comprehensive funeral facility. The city emphasized the preparation process and resident support plans, asserting the legitimacy of the project.

Earlier, the Democratic Party members of the Yangju City Council released a statement demanding, “The People Power Party’s Kang Su-hyun, Mayor of Yangju, and city council members should immediately withdraw the Yangju Crematorium agenda and reflect the will of the citizens.”

In response, the city rebutted that over the past two years, it has publicly carried out preliminary administrative procedures such as forming a construction promotion committee, soliciting candidate sites, site selection procedures, various feasibility studies and research, and signing investment agreements with six cities. The city pointed out that if a request to change the project site is made at this point, a convincing alternative must be presented together.

In particular, the city stated that the residents of the relevant area, who are preparing various resident support projects including a 40 billion KRW fund, as well as numerous citizens supporting the construction project, should be asked how the originally promised resident support projects will be replaced and how the site selection procedures will be redone. It also emphasized that the six cities jointly promoting the project and their city councils, with whom agreements are already under discussion, should be questioned about whether there is a plan to recover from the loss of credibility and administrative trust caused by reversing the position before demanding a site change.

Mayor Kang Su-hyun of Yangju said, “Over the past two years, we have made numerous efforts including benchmarking more than 20 other facilities, holding over 10 project briefings, and more than 60 consultations with related institutions such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the offices of National Assembly members for the construction of the comprehensive funeral facility.” He added, “What Yangju needs now is politics, not political strife. I hope city council members will consider the benefits for all citizens and solutions to the imminent cremation crisis. Also, if the council discusses this issue as soon as possible and presents alternatives reflecting differing opinions, the executive branch will actively review them.”