Lee Jae-myung, Mayor of Seongnam, Launches Indefinite Hunger Strike Opposing Local Government Finance Reform

Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung held a press conference at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul on the 7th and launched an indefinite hunger strike risking his life to block the government's local government finance reform.

Suwon Mayor Yim Tae-young and Hwaseong Mayor Chae In-seok decided to undertake 24-hour daily fasting.

Mayors of Goyang, Gwacheon, and Yongin, among others, decided to express their opposition to the local government finance reform plan through various means including one-person protests.

The local government leaders stated at a press conference: "If the government plan is implemented, the budgets of Goyang, Gwacheon, Seongnam, Suwon, Yongin, and Hwaseong cities will be reduced by up to 270 billion won per city, totaling over 800 billion won at once," and "Local governments could face financial collapse with general accounting revenues decreased to 10-30% levels."

The leaders further pointed out: "The government is attempting to manipulate local government finance, which is the foundation of local autonomy, through only enforcement ordinances rather than legislation," calling this "a direct challenge to the National Assembly's legislative authority."

They continued: "The root causes of local government financial difficulties lie in unilateral expansion of government subsidized projects, transfer of national affairs to local governments, rapid increase in social welfare projects, and local tax revenue decline due to tax reduction policies," emphasizing that "to resolve local government difficulties, the government must first fulfill its promise to increase local government finances by 4.7 trillion won, including expansion of local consumption tax and raising the local transfer tax rate."

Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung strongly criticized the government plan, saying: "The essence of this government plan is to make certain local governments scapegoats and is a retaliatory policy," and "it goes beyond strengthening government financial control over local governments to undermining the very roots of local autonomy."

Mayor Lee stated: "Against the government's attempt to destroy local autonomy, we will fight using every possible method including hunger strikes and one-person protests," appealing to the public to "join this righteous struggle to protect democracy."

Meanwhile, a large-scale rally opposing local government finance reform is scheduled to be held at Gwanghwamun Plaza on the 11th.