Im Mi-ae Criticizes Lee Cheolwoo for Neglecting Wildfire Recovery and APEC Preparations
Im Mi-ae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, strongly criticized Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk, on the 9th for challenging the People Power Party's presidential primary. She questioned whether it was appropriate to run for president amid the worst wildfires and other crises.
On the same day, Im posted on social media (SNS), "Governor Lee is taking a vacation and running in the People Power Party presidential primary," adding, "Who would choose a governor who irresponsibly abandoned the region's biggest issues, such as managing the aftermath of the worst wildfires in history and the successful hosting of the APEC summit, as a presidential candidate?"
A house in Hwahwa-ri, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk, was reduced to ruins by a wildfire on the 29th of last month. Yonhap News.
The wildfire Im referred to was a large-scale fire that occurred mainly in the Gyeongbuk region last month. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the wildfires in the Yeongnam area, which lasted from the 21st to the 30th of last month, caused 31 deaths, 51 serious and minor injuries, and 3,193 displaced people. Im asked, "Are you aware of the desperation of the farmers who can only pace anxiously during the farming season?" and "Do you know the tears of the small and medium-sized business owners in the Namhu Industrial Complex who were excluded from recovery support?"
She also expressed concerns about the preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. She pointed out, "According to what was confirmed at the National Assembly APEC Special Committee's plenary meeting two days ago, the renovation of accommodations will only be completed in September," and questioned, "Is there no sense of crisis that the infrastructure for an international event involving a total of about 20,000 participants will be barely finished two months prior?" She continued, "In a situation where they should be running around tirelessly to secure the budget and speed up practical preparations, taking a vacation and jumping into the presidential primary leaves the residents of Gyeongbuk only sighing in despair."
Im also criticized Governor Lee for posting "I want to see dismissal" on SNS ahead of former President Yoon Seok-youl's Constitutional Court impeachment trial. She said, "The people of Gyeongbuk have repeatedly warned Governor Lee, who has defended acts of rebellion and focused solely on far-right political activities," adding, "He is once again making reckless moves driven only by his political calculations." She urged him to "resign cleanly so that the acting governor can fully concentrate on responding to the wildfire victims' support and APEC preparations."
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