Uiryeong County Council in Gyeongnam to Visit Japan for 5 Days from the 9th
All Council Members to Attend... Including Attractions like Osaka Castle
"Are They Worried About the Situation in Japan?" Various Criticisms Arise
Amid the political turmoil following President Yoon Suk-yeol's December 3 emergency martial law declaration, the Uiryeong County Council in Gyeongnam has sparked controversy by traveling to Japan on a business trip. According to the Uiryeong County Council on the 10th, a total of 16 people, including Chairman Kim Gyu-chan and all 10 council members, along with 6 council office staff, departed through Gimhae International Airport on the 9th.
The legislative activities of Uiryeong County Council. Chairman Kim Gyu-chan is seated in the center. Provided by Uiryeong County Council
The trip is a 4-night, 5-day itinerary visiting Narita, Yokohama, Ginza, Osaka, and Kansai in Japan. The travel expenses were set at 2.8 million KRW per council member, totaling 28 million KRW. Of this amount, 23.26 million KRW comes from the county council’s budget, and the remaining 4.74 million KRW is split among the 10 council members, each paying about 470,000 KRW.
The purpose of the trip is to tour tourist sites developed through urban regeneration and redevelopment in various Japanese regions. However, it is also known that sightseeing at major Japanese landmarks such as Osaka Castle is included. The Uiryeong County Council explained that the trip aims to conduct inspections of Japan’s urban regeneration, cultural tourism, and medical welfare that could be applied to the county, in order to propose multifaceted policy suggestions.
However, given the emergency martial law situation where local governments and councils are operating under emergency protocols, and the inclusion of sightseeing at tourist spots in the itinerary, criticism has arisen that this is an inappropriate, pleasure-seeking overseas trip. In contrast, the Gyeongnam Provincial Council has completely canceled overseas trips to countries such as Australia and Singapore, and the Jeonnam Provincial Council and Gwangju City Council have also reportedly canceled all scheduled overseas trips this month.
The Uiryeong County branch of the Korean Government Employees’ Union issued a statement criticizing, saying, “The county council has lost its mind.” The branch stated, “Are the Uiryeong County Council members going all the way to Japan to worry about the national situation while looking at our country? The residents and public officials cannot help but feel betrayed,” and added, “They must explain to the residents why overseas trips were considered more important than the national emergency.”
Residents of Uiryeong County also voiced criticism on the Uiryeong County website, saying, “At this time, the people are canceling even existing promises and worrying about the country, but those people are unqualified,” and “We petition for the cancellation of the council members’ passports.” In response, the Uiryeong County Council stated, “This trip is expected to help regional development through specialized local projects and cultural policy development.”
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