Kim Dong-yeon at March Provincial Meeting: "Livelihoods Suffocating Amid Impeachment Crisis... Will Start with Gyeonggi Province"

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, urged the swift impeachment amid the unprecedented simultaneous acting system of the President and the Minister of National Defense in South Korea, which is increasing public anxiety, during this year's first open provincial government meeting. He also promised to start addressing livelihood issues from Gyeonggi Province, stating that the impeachment political turmoil has brought the public's livelihood to a critical state.

At the March Gyeonggi Province open government meeting held on the 17th at the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex in Uijeongbu, Governor Kim said, "Even after the military command suffered an accident, reporting and awareness have been delayed, and there have been problems such as late media announcements, causing public anxiety." He added, "There are concerns that not only the economy and diplomacy but also national defense might be left in a vacuum. I hope and urge that the internal conflict ends as soon as possible, the government normalizes, political uncertainty clears, and that the economy, diplomacy, and national defense all return to their proper places."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is presiding over the March Gyeonggi Province Open Administration Meeting at the Gyeonggi Northern Office in Uijeongbu on the 17th. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

Furthermore, he said, "Recently, the United States designated South Korea as a sensitive country, which has added to the existing troubles, causing various anxieties in both the economy and our society." He continued, "Now is not the time to blame each other. Since the designation will take effect on April 15, we must urgently appoint the economic plenipotentiary I proposed earlier this year to respond to the emergency before then."

He also stated, "As the impeachment political turmoil prolongs, the livelihood field is suffocating. We must provide a meticulous and robust supplementary budget to protect vulnerable groups such as small business owners, self-employed individuals, and youth, and we must no longer delay investing in future growth engines amid the global industrial hegemony war."

He added, "Gyeonggi Province has already begun preparing the supplementary budget because now is the time for active fiscal roles."

Finally, Governor Kim said, "I hope this year Gyeonggi Province’s path will demonstrate the path for South Korea." He added, "Especially, the four key issues of care, climate, social integration, and safety are essential tasks that must be prioritized in creating a new South Korea after the impeachment, and we will start from Gyeonggi Province."