Lee Ki-woo, 'Symbol of Joint Governance,' Publicly Criticizes Gyeonggi Province's Request for Reconsideration of Seongnam City

Lee Ki-woo, Vice Governor for Social Integration of Gyeonggi Province, publicly criticized the provincial government's decision, stating that the Gyeonggi Province's reconsideration request for Seongnam City's three major free welfare projects should be withdrawn.

The vice governor held a press briefing on the afternoon of the 7th, saying "A reconsideration request from a metropolitan local government to a basic local government is not a mandatory clause," and "The province's reconsideration request is a misuse of discretion and nothing more than heeding the eye of the central government."

This is the first time Vice Governor Lee, a symbol of Governor Nam Kyung-phil's core policy of "joint governance," has publicly criticized a provincial policy since taking office.

The vice governor pointed out that "the province's reconsideration request will obviously make the situation worse rather than resolve the issue between the central government and Seongnam City in a situation where Gyeonggi Province is pursuing co-prosperity cooperation with 31 cities and counties."

He further emphasized, "Reconsideration requests are discretionary clauses that the province may or may not exercise. The province should not arbitrarily interfere with or get involved in welfare projects of cities and counties that it should co-prosper with."

On the 6th, Gyeonggi Province instructed Seongnam City to reconsider, stating that the Seongnam City Council's approval of budget proposals regarding youth dividends, free school uniforms, and free public postpartum care facilities without consultations with the Minister of Health and Welfare violates the Framework Act on Social Security.