Min Hyungbae Opposes Government Bill Downgrading Status of 'Amun Joseongwi'

"Unilateral Decision Without Communication With Gwangju City and Local Community"
"Maintaining Affiliation With the President Is Justified to Uphold the Original Purpose"

Min Hyungbae, Member of the National Assembly.

Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hyungbae (Gwangju Gwangsan-eul) strongly criticized the government's unilateral bill to downgrade the status of the Asia Culture Hub City Committee at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee held on the 19th.

The amendment to the “Special Act on the Establishment of the Asia Culture Hub City,” proposed by the government on December 17 last year, is a bill that downgrades the status of the Asia Culture Hub City Committee from being under the President to being under the Prime Minister. The same bill was proposed during the 21st National Assembly but was scrapped due to opposition from the legislative subcommittee.

On this day, Min expressed his opposition to the amendment to the Asia Culture City Act, which was tabled at the plenary session of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee. He cited as a reason the fact that, although the 8th term of the Asia Culture Hub City Committee (June 9, 2020 - June 8, 2022) had expired, the 9th term committee had not been formed for nearly two and a half years.

He also argued against the bill on the grounds of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's unilateral legislative push without communication with Gwangju City and civil society, who are stakeholders in the project; the failure of the same bill during the 21st National Assembly; the appropriateness of downgrading the committee for a national project; and the government's failure to provide a convincing reason for the change.

Min stated, “Regardless of the downgrade, the government should reflect on whether it has ever communicated with the local community before announcing such legislation,” and further argued, “The government should consider whether it is appropriate to discuss this law in a situation akin to a civil war, and even now, it would be proper to withdraw the bill.”

Meanwhile, during last year's government audit, Min emphasized the need to maintain the current committee under the President in order to uphold the original intent of the “Special Act on the Establishment of the Asia Culture Hub City” and to ensure the project does not lose momentum.