Daehyun Kim, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Seogu District 1), is scheduled to deliver a five-minute free speech at the third plenary session of the 319th extraordinary meeting on September 12. During his remarks, he will highlight the negative consequences of the organizational expansion and consolidation of affiliated agencies that were aggressively pursued during the previous mayor’s term, and will urge for a swift return to normal operations.
Assemblyman Kim strongly criticizes, “The previous mayor focused on showy projects in pursuit of higher office, indiscriminately expanding the main city hall organization and consolidating affiliated agencies. However, neither the touted goal of administrative efficiency nor fiscal soundness was achieved. In the end, only bloated organizational management and harm to citizens remain as side effects.”
He particularly points out, “In the case of the Public Facilities Management Corporation, the number of staff increased from 1,433 in 2022 to 1,590 in 2024, and personnel expenses soared from 68.3 billion won to 81.5 billion won. The original purpose of integration-efficiency and fiscal soundness-has disappeared, leaving only a greater burden on taxpayers.”
He further notes, “The Daegu Foundation for Arts and Culture, which was formed by merging disparate fields such as performing arts, fine arts, and tourism without sufficient review, is now plagued by abuses of authority by the president, excessive allowances, and mutual accusations and petitions. As a result, citizens are being deprived of the cultural and artistic services they rightfully deserve.”
Additionally, he adds, “Daegu Transportation Corporation still has dispatched government officials, which has led to conflicts between civil servants and corporation employees. Furthermore, the newly established Urban Management Headquarters, created by combining ten business offices, has resulted in duplicated approval processes and a lack of cooperation between general and implementing departments, making administrative procedures more complicated and increasing inconvenience for citizens.”
Assemblyman Daehyun Kim is expected to state, “A bloated organizational structure continues to drain citizens’ tax money even at this very moment. If this is left unattended until the next mayor takes office, normalization will inevitably require even greater costs and time. Now is the time to overhaul the management system of affiliated agencies and downsize or reorganize the main city hall organization, which has lost its justification, in order to restore administrative efficiency and accountability.”
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