Moonin, Buk-gu Mayor Who Withdrew Resignation, to Skip District Council Emergency Session

Statement of Non-Attendance Submitted Citing National Assembly Schedule

Moonin, Mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju. Provided by Buk-gu, Gwangju

Moonin, Mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju, who had previously announced his intention to resign in order to run for Mayor of Gwangju but then abruptly withdrew his resignation, has decided not to attend an emergency session of the district council convened to question him about the reasons for retracting his resignation.

Buk-gu, Gwangju announced on January 14 that, in accordance with Article 51 of the Local Autonomy Act, it had submitted a statement of non-attendance from Mayor Moon to the Buk-gu district council.

In his statement, Mayor Moon explained his absence by saying, "I must attend a scheduled session at the National Assembly, which is intended to represent the voices of the region regarding the administrative integration of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province."

He continued, "I respect the district council's request for my attendance, but as mayor, I believe that focusing on the historic task of administrative integration is a greater responsibility at this time." He added, "Once the discussions on city-province integration reach a certain level of conclusion, I will also make a clear decision regarding my future course of action."

Previously, the Buk-gu district council had planned to hold an emergency session on January 15 to question Mayor Moon about the confusion in the local community caused by his reversal of his resignation to run for mayor and about future plans for district administration.

However, as Mayor Moon has notified his non-attendance citing external work such as his visit to the National Assembly, strong opposition from the district council and criticism expressing concerns about an administrative vacuum are expected to follow.