"Are city council members Cheonryongin?"
Citizens criticize exemption of parking fines for council members
Exemptions granted without supporting documents, fueling public resentment
In Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, the city government has exempted city council members from 13 parking violation fines over the past three years, prompting citizens to sarcastically ask, "Are city council members Cheonryongin?"
Cheonryongin refers to a type of aristocrat featured in the manga One Piece, who are not subject to laws or common sense and enjoy every privilege in the world.
According to the city on May 15, the city government has exempted city council members from 13 parking violation fines over the past three years. Independent council member Lee Jongdam received the most exemptions, with 9 cases, while Democratic Party members Kim Myungsook, Yoo Youngchae, Lee Byungha, and People Power Party member Lee Sangu each had 1 case.
Lee Jongdam had one exemption in 2023 and six last year. This year, he received one exemption each in April and May. The most recent exemption involved a violation in front of a building registered under his spouse's name, which was not even in his own constituency of Buldang-dong.
In the official letter sent by Lee, he wrote, "I request an exemption from the parking violation fine for a vehicle caught during a site visit to address and resolve residents' complaints. Please review and process accordingly." The city government accepted this as grounds for exemption under the enforcement rules regarding fines for parking violations and towing.
These rules are based on the Enforcement Rules of the Road Traffic Act and specify six categories for exemption, including disaster relief and emergency situations.
To receive a fine exemption, a strict process of documentation is required. However, in these cases, the clause "other unavoidable circumstances deemed to have sufficient reason" was applied.
Cheonan City regulations state that anyone can file an objection to a parking violation fine within 20 days of receiving a prior notice.
Once an objection is filed, a review committee composed of five external civilian experts at each district office meets weekly to determine whether to grant an exemption.
However, none of the city council members who received parking fine exemptions submitted any supporting documents to Cheonan City to prove "other unavoidable circumstances."
When asked by a reporter, "Have the review committee members simply accepted a single official letter from a city council member as sufficient proof of 'other unavoidable circumstances'?" a Cheonan City official replied, "That's basically correct."
Citizens are feeling a strong sense of deprivation. One delivery driver said, "When I get a parking violation fine while making deliveries, I have to provide evidence of my delivery records and reasons for being unable to park, and even then, it's barely enough for an exemption. It's enviable that a city council member just needs to submit a single official letter."
Park (28), a resident of Buldang-dong, also expressed frustration, saying, "I've received countless tickets because there's no parking space, but city council members can resolve it with just one official letter. It really feels like they are Cheonryongin, above the law."
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