Prime Minister Kim Minseok Visits Namguro Early Morning Market
Mayor Jang Inhong: "Seoul City Notified Us of Budget Cuts"
Seoul City: "No Suspension... Structural Improvements for Program Enhancement"
On October 10, Prime Minister Kim Minseok criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stating, "It was foolish to suspend the Dawn Job Shelter project." In response, the city government refuted the claim, saying, "We have not suspended the project." The Dawn Job Shelter is a facility equipped with various amenities where workers who come out early in the morning to seek jobs can wait comfortably.
That morning, Prime Minister Kim visited the Namguro Dawn Labor Market in Guro-gu, Seoul, where he met with construction workers and field support staff. At the site, Jang Inhong, the head of Guro-gu District Office, told the Prime Minister, "Until now, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has provided 100 million won and Guro-gu has contributed 50 million won to operate the labor market, but we have recently been notified that the city’s budget for next year will be entirely cut." Jang added, "Since this is the largest labor market, we cannot suspend its operation. If the city’s budget is ultimately cut, we will allocate as much of the district’s budget as possible."
Prime Minister Kim Minseok visited the volunteer center near the Namguro Dawn Labor Market in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th to encourage volunteers. Photo by Yonhap News
In response, Prime Minister Kim criticized, "It’s not even a large sum, but such basic things should be maintained." He continued, "Why are they handling things so foolishly?"
The Seoul Metropolitan Government immediately responded, reiterating its position that "the project has not been suspended." The Dawn Job Shelter project provides funding to district offices to facilitate job-seeking activities for day laborers. As of 2025, it is being operated in five districts, including Guro and Geumcheon. However, as of the end of August, the average daily number of users at shelters in the three districts other than Guro-gu and Geumcheon-gu was only about 30 to 40, indicating disparities in performance among districts and, according to the city government, highlighting the need for improvement.
In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is currently working to restructure the project. The aim is to enhance the effectiveness of the Dawn Job Shelter project by providing more benefits to districts with better performance. The city also emphasized that it will continue to promote the Dawn Job Shelter project in 2026.
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