Jo Hyejin, Chief Secretary to Gyeonggi Governor, Resigns on December 5 over Budget Bill Disruption

Jo Hyejin, Chief Secretary to the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, resigned on December 5 in connection with the recent disruption in the handling of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council's budget bill.

In a statement released that day, Chief Secretary Jo said, "Today, I am stepping down from my position as Chief Secretary to the Governor of Gyeonggi Province," explaining, "The most important thing is the passage of next year's budget bill for the livelihoods of the residents."

She added, "I could not continue to place a burden on the Governor, who has the authority to appoint me," and emphasized, "I was never attached to the position in the first place."

Jo also stated, "The issue involving Provincial Council Operations Committee Chairman Yang Woosik is directly linked to the self-esteem of Gyeonggi public officials," and expressed her belief that "the Provincial Council will take responsibility and resolve the matter."

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Previously, the Gyeonggi executive branch, including the Chief Secretary's office, refused to attend the Provincial Council Operations Committee's administrative audit scheduled for November 19-20, on the grounds that Committee Chairman Yang Woosik of the People Power Party, who has been indicted for sexual harassment, would be presiding. As a result, the audit was canceled altogether.

In response, the People Power Party criticized this as "behavior unbecoming of public officials who have broken their promise to the residents," demanding the resignation of Chief Secretary Jo Hyejin and an apology from the Governor. The conflict escalated to the budget review process, leading to the postponement of the first meeting of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on November 28, and People Power Party leader Baek Hyunjong began a hunger strike.

The Democratic Party also condemned the Gyeonggi executive branch's absence from the Provincial Council, calling it an "undermining of the council's oversight function," and demanded both an apology from Governor Kim Dongyeon and the resignation of Committee Chairman Yang Woosik, who is at the center of the controversy.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Council is evenly split, with both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party holding 76 seats each. With no agreement in sight, there are growing concerns that the legal deadline for next year's budget bill (early December) may be missed.