Gongju City Councilor Kwonhan Kim Criticizes Lack of Administrative Consistency, Calls It Deception of Citizens

"Policies Change as Easily as Flipping One's Hand Whenever the Person in Charge Changes"

Councilor Kwonhan Kim of Gongju City Council

Criticism has arisen that administrative decisions in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, are being repeatedly reversed due to changes in personnel or the passage of time, thereby betraying the trust of citizens.

Kwonhan Kim, a member of the Gongju City Council from the Democratic Party of Korea, stated during a five-minute speech at the 258th temporary session of the Gongju City Council on April 18, "Every time the person in charge changes, the city's policies are overturned as easily as flipping one's hand," adding, "This is a clear deception of the citizens."

Councilor Kim pointed out, regarding the distribution of funds from Western Power, "The initial plan was to allocate 2.5 billion won to each of the four nearby villages, but after the factory was built, the policy was changed on the grounds of 'distribution within a 5-kilometer radius according to the law.' As a result, residents ended up receiving only around 200 million won each, about one-tenth of the amount they had expected."

He also criticized the BRT depot in Ungjin-dong, stating, "The city explained that the depot would have the effect of extending the route, but in reality, only empty vehicles are coming and going without any passengers. Citizens are outraged that only empty vehicles are entering such a prime location."

Regarding the Gourmet Culture Space project, he said, "According to the service results, the former Duri Wedding Hall was selected as the project site, and the building owner even evicted tenants in preparation. However, a revised plan was recently submitted in the supplementary budget proposal," questioning, "Whom should the building owner hold responsible?"

He continued, "Although plausible reasons such as related laws, consultations with central government agencies, and expert opinions are presented, citizens ask, 'Why did you say something different back then?' Explaining possibilities as if they were certainties and later changing your statements is an act of mocking the citizens," he criticized.

Regarding the issue of BRT access to the original downtown area, Councilor Kim emphasized, "If the newly constructed bridge is too narrow for BRT access, the only solution is to allow both pedestrians and BRT to use the Geumganggyo Bridge. It is also possible to operate at speeds below 10 km/h and notify pedestrians with a bell."