At Gangneung Drought Countermeasure Meeting,
Mayor Kim Hongkyu Fails to Clearly Answer
President Lee Jaemyung's Budget Questions,
Prompting Public Outrage
"I Didn't Grasp the Main Point...
Tried to Push for Local Government Funding"
As Gangneung City in Gangwon Province suffers from the worst drought in its history, Mayor Kim Hongkyu is facing heavy criticism for failing to properly answer President Lee Jaemyung's budget-related questions during an on-site visit. In response, Mayor Kim explained, "Since the president was here, I tried to make a request."
On the 1st, Hongkyu Kim, mayor of Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, announced drought response measures at the disaster situation room of Gangneung City Hall. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
At the second emergency press conference on drought response held at Gangneung City Hall on the morning of the 1st, Mayor Kim bowed his head and said, "There was some confusion because I did not fully understand the president's question," when asked about criticism that he failed to properly explain the costs of securing water resources during the Q&A session with the president. "This was my mistake," he admitted. He explained that "the Yeongokcheon expansion project currently being pursued by the city can proceed without the costs for securing and supplying raw water, so the misunderstanding occurred while I was explaining the installation of a water purification plant." He clarified that the confusion arose from the use of terminology.
Regarding his repeated mention of 50 billion won as the cost for securing water resources, Mayor Kim said, "This project was originally excluded from the list of projects supported by the central government," and added, "Since the president was here, I tried to make a request, even though this is a project that should be funded by the local government."
President Lee Jae-myung is presiding over a drought countermeasure meeting at the Disaster and Safety Situation Room of Gangneung City Hall, Gangwon Province, on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Previously, on August 30, President Lee presided over a drought countermeasure meeting at the Disaster and Safety Situation Room of Gangneung City Hall. During the meeting, President Lee asked about the costs required to secure water supply, but Mayor Kim failed to provide clear answers regarding the necessary budget and its allocation, resulting in a frustrating exchange. President Lee asked, "You said an additional 100 billion won is needed. What exactly is this amount for? Does this 100 billion won include the existing budget?"
When Mayor Kim could not provide a definite answer, President Lee pressed further, "There is an existing plan, and the costs required for that plan should already be allocated. Are you saying you want the government to provide new support for something additional? How much extra is needed?" Mayor Kim replied, "About 50 billion won," to which President Lee responded with a wry smile, "Earlier you said 100 billion won, but now it's down to 50 billion won. That's a relief."
President Lee also questioned the use of the 50 billion won, asking, "Is it just for expanding the water purification plant? Has the raw water already been secured? That doesn't seem to be the case. If there is an existing plan, there should naturally be a budget for purifying the raw water as well. Isn't that logical?"
On the afternoon of the 1st, citizens of Gangneung are looking worriedly at Obong Reservoir, which has been completely dried up. Photo by Yonhap News
Eventually, Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae intervened, saying, "Currently, we have a 15,000-ton water purification plant, but that's not enough, so we're trying to increase capacity to 50,000 tons. The president is asking whether the 50 billion won budget for the additional 35,000 tons includes both securing raw water and expanding the purification plant." President Lee then remarked, "No one here seems to understand what's being said. Let's check later to clarify what this all means."
On that day, Mayor Kim also said, "I firmly believe it will rain in September," only to be rebuked by President Lee, who said, "You can't just trust in the sky. We can't risk people's lives on an experiment."
After this exchange was made public, criticism of Mayor Kim poured in. On September 2, the Gangneung City Hall website was flooded with comments such as, "I was shocked by the level of the mayor," "The mayor should feel ashamed and resign," and "As a citizen of Gangneung, I am embarrassed." One citizen wrote, "The mayor tried to extract 100 billion won in disaster relief from the national treasury, but when asked, 'Isn't there already an existing budget?' he replied, 'Then at least give us 50 billion won.' It's no wonder disasters keep happening in a city where the mayor says things as absurd as praying for rain."
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