Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Chu Mi-ae, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, clashed during a provincial meeting on September 21. Chu claimed that the assertion that Gyeonggi Province is cutting livelihood budgets is a "distorted attack" on the actual situation. In response, Kim emphasized the importance of clearly understanding and explaining the circumstances surrounding the party and the province.
During the Democratic Party's Supreme Council meeting held at the Gyeonggi Northern Government Building in Uijeongbu, Chu explained the province's dire financial situation. She stated, "The first issue I faced upon taking office was a nine-month 'temporary budget,' which is essentially a budget with a deadline. Many essential livelihood budgets were only allocated until September, despite needing to be funded for the entire year."
Chu continued, "If we cannot secure funding, we will inevitably have to halt programs for children's meals, elderly care, and services for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities. What Gyeonggi Province is currently doing is not cutting or eliminating viable projects, but rather struggling to revive projects that had been put on hold."
She proposed that this situation be an opportunity to address the structural issues in local finance and called for reforms that would allow local governments to operate responsibly. Specifically, she suggested increasing the local consumption tax rate from 25.3% to 40.3%, allocating 5% of corporate tax to regional governments, and converting tobacco consumption tax into local education and fire resource facility taxes.
In response, Kim explained the context of his comments regarding budget cuts for the Gyeonggi DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. After the Supreme Council meeting, he shared during a budget policy meeting that during a conversation with young cultural figures in Gwangju on September 19, he had mentioned that a promised award for the festival had been withdrawn, indicating a breach of commitment. He stressed the importance of the party and Gyeonggi Province jointly explaining the structural situation, warning that failure to do so could lead to significant difficulties.
Recently, Kim and Chu have been engaged in a subtle power struggle. Chu has been vocal in criticizing the Lee Jae-myung administration on issues such as prosecutorial reform and the appointment of the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, leading to a clash of opinions within the party. This conflict appears to be escalating into a broader ideological struggle within the party.
Representative Seo Young-seok, aligned with the pro-Lee faction, remarked that while securing fiscal sustainability is important, the burden should not fall on the lives of the residents. He cautioned against taking lightly the public sentiment demanding Chu's resignation or departure from the party. Representative Park Ji-won advised Chu not to become the "Jang Dong-hyuk of the Democratic Party," asserting that success for Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party is essential for Chu's success in Gyeonggi Province.
Conversely, Choi Min-hee, a member of the pro-Chung-rae faction, criticized the ongoing political attacks against Chu, stating that the issue lies with those who claim to represent the Democratic Party. Han Min-soo, another Supreme Council member, called for reflection and introspection, questioning whether the party leadership is genuinely pursuing unity while still excluding and pushing away other factions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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