Hwaseong Mayor Chae In-seok Embarks on Cross-Country Journey to Resolve Local Issues

Hwaseong Mayor Chae In-seok embarks on a cross-country journey with a focus on resolving local issues including the attraction of the National Natural History Museum.

Mayor Chae plans to depart from Ttankkkeut Village in Haenam, Jeollanam-do on the 24th and complete a 528-kilometer trek over 21 days, averaging 25 kilometers per day, passing through Mokpo, Gunsan, Cheonan, and Hwaseong to the National Assembly Building in Yeouido, Seoul.

Mayor Chae held a press conference on the 23rd and said, "I have decided to embark on this cross-country journey carrying problems that are difficult to solve with our own strength alone."

Mayor Chae stated, "I have made multiple recommendations to the central government regarding important local issues such as attracting the National Natural History Museum, securing national budget support for the Maehyang-ri Peace Ecological Park, and developing water quality measures for Hwaseong Lake, but the government's response has been cold." He added, "Since other basic local governments face the same experience, I am embarking on this cross-country journey to promote mutual understanding and cooperation."

Regarding the attraction of the National Natural History Museum, Mayor Chae said, "The Koreaceratops hwaseongensis, the first horned dinosaur fossil discovered on the Korean Peninsula, was found here, and Hwaseong has a 4.8-million-pyeong dinosaur egg fossil site designated as a natural monument, with experts saying Hwaseong is the optimal location. Yet the government has set an internal policy to attract it to Sejong City and remains unmoved."

Regarding the creation of the Maehyang-ri Ecological Park, Mayor Chae raised his voice, saying "While the government fully funds the returned U.S. Yongsan base, it is incomprehensible that the city is asked to bear the costs for creating an ecological park in Maehyang-ri, which was used as a U.S. Air Force firing range for over 50 years before being returned under the pretext of national security."

Regarding the Hwaseong Lake Levee being constructed this year, Mayor Chae stated, "If desalination is completed in 2017, it will become a second Shihwa Lake, and residents will bear all the damage from water quality deterioration. We must change the current policy to allow seawater to flow."