Gwangju City Allocates Exclusive Vehicles to Senior Officials as 'Preferential Treatment'

Eunji Chae, Gwangju City Council Member: "Support Provided for Years Without Basis"

Eunji Chae, Gwangju City Council Member.

Gwangju City has been criticized for providing special privileges by assigning a dedicated vehicle to a high-ranking official without any supporting basis.

On the 11th, Chae Eun-ji, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party, proportional representation), stated during the Administrative Affairs Bureau audit, “Assigning a dedicated vehicle to the Director of the Planning and Coordination Office (Gijosiljang) without any basis or eligibility is a special privilege.”

Councilor Chae said, “According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s manual on the management and operation of official vehicles, ‘Grade A’ high-ranking officials in central administrative agencies are eligible for designated work vehicles, but it was confirmed that the Gijosiljang of Gwangju City is a ‘Grade B’ high-ranking official and not eligible for support.”

She continued, “Although the Gwangju City official vehicle regulations limit the assignment of dedicated vehicles to only four positions?the Mayor, the Chairperson, and the two Vice Mayors (administrative and economic)?a protocol vehicle has been exclusively assigned to the Gijosiljang. The assigned vehicle is used not only for official duties but also for commuting, and a dedicated staff member (driver) has been assigned to support the work,” she claimed.

Councilor Chae pointed out, “Assigning a dedicated vehicle and a dedicated staff member without any basis is wrong. If support is necessary, the relevant grounds should be organized and supplemented. The city should apologize to the citizens and take care to prevent recurrence of the issue.”