Mayor Lee Chungwoo Protests: "New City Hall Budget Cut Is Political Obstruction"

Lee Chungwoo, Mayor of Yeoju, Holds Emergency Press Conference
Groundbreaking This Year at Risk
"Budget Must Be Reinstated No Later Than August"

Lee Chungwoo, mayor of Yeoju City in Gyeonggi Province, strongly opposed the city council's decision to once again completely cut the budget for the construction of the new city hall, calling it a "political obstruction that breaks the official promise made to the citizens."

On the 17th, Lee Chungwoo, mayor of Yeoju City, held an emergency press conference and strongly opposed the complete budget cut for the construction of the new city hall by the city council again, calling it a "political obstruction that breaks the official promise made to the citizens."

On the 17th, Mayor Lee held an emergency press conference at Yeoju City Hall and stated, "The construction of the new city hall, a long-cherished project for our 120,000 citizens, is now at risk of being derailed due to the political calculations of the majority party." He added, "This is an act that betrays both administrative responsibility and the will of the citizens."

On this day, the Yeoju City Council, during a special session to review the city's second supplementary budget, decided to cut the entire 5 billion won construction cost for the new city hall that the city had requested.

Previously, at the end of June during a regular session, the council had already cut 5 billion won from the 10.87 billion won allocated for the same project in the first supplementary budget, citing reasons such as the need to prioritize the recovery of the local economy and concerns over increased project costs due to the design-build bidding method.

Mayor Lee pointed out, "Even though there has never been an official stance opposing the construction of the new city hall, the budget has been repeatedly cut without clear alternatives or justification." He emphasized, "This decision is not an issue of a specific party or political group, but a serious matter that could undermine the aspirations of our citizens."

He also said, "All administrative preparations have already been completed, and if a contract is not signed within the next three to four months, it will be difficult to break ground this year." He appealed, "The budget must be reinstated no later than August."

Mayor Lee particularly stressed that the construction of the new city hall is an essential administrative task, not a subject of political debate. He explained, "The current city hall, built in 1979, is outdated and severely lacking in office space and parking, causing inconvenience for both citizens and staff." He added, "The new city hall is not just a building, but the foundation for Yeoju City's future administration."

On the 17th, Lee Chungwoo, mayor of Yeoju City, held an emergency press conference and strongly opposed the complete budget cut for the construction of the new city hall by the city council again, calling it a "political obstruction that breaks the official promise made to the citizens."

Mayor Lee also made a direct appeal to the citizens. He said, "I have done my best to persuade the council, but I have reached my limits. Now, I ask that you, the citizens, directly convey your wishes to the city council."

Meanwhile, Park Doohyeong, chairperson of the Yeoju City Council, also expressed regret over the budget cut and supported Mayor Lee's position.

In his closing remarks, Chairperson Park emphasized, "The construction of the new city hall is not a project of the People Power Party or a personal project of Mayor Lee Chungwoo, but a longstanding task for Yeoju City and a long-held wish of its citizens." He added, "Any act to derail or reverse this project will never be tolerated by the citizens."

The Yeoju City new city hall construction project has a total budget of 152 billion won and is being pursued on land at 9-3, Ga-eop-dong, near Yeoju Station, with plans for one underground floor and seven above-ground floors. The city has completed the basic design and aims to break ground within the year and complete construction by 2028.