Ten New Politics Local Leaders: "Withdraw Unilateral Budget Burden Shifting"

Local leaders affiliated with the New Politics Democratic Alliance in Gyeonggi Province have voiced opposition to the province's reduction in provincial budget support.

On the 1st, ten municipal heads from cities across the province, including Sungnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, released a statement titled "Governor Nam Kyung-pil Must Immediately Withdraw Unilateral Budget Burden Shifting."

The statement was co-signed by Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Hwaseong Mayor Chae In-suk, Osan Mayor Gwak Sang-wook, Goyang Mayor Choi Sung, Gwangmyeong Mayor Yang Ki-dae, Gunpo Mayor Kim Yun-ju, Bucheon Mayor Kim Man-su, Sungnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, Ansan Mayor Je Jong-gil, and Uijeongbu Mayor Ahn Byung-yong.

In the statement, they argued that "Governor Nam Kyung-pil, while formulating provincial budget support for vulnerable population support projects and social infrastructure (SOC) construction projects, has cut or reduced budgets ranging from hundreds of millions of won to over 40 billion won for each local government." They claimed this "unilaterally shifts the burden of provincial financial crisis resulting from the province's mismanagement to vulnerable populations and basic municipal governments in Gyeonggi Province."

They further stated that "the central government's passing of fiscal burden to basic local governments, followed by Gyeonggi Province doing the same, is an act that undermines the foundation of grassroots democracy," and called on the province to "withdraw the unilateral budget support cuts and reductions."