Gyeonggi CCEJ Urges Choo Mi-ae to Cancel Luxury Official Residence Lease and Recover Budget

Regarding the controversy over Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae's "leased official residence worth 1.2 billion won," the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) Gyeonggi chapter demanded on the 8th, "Immediately cancel the luxury official residence lease contract and recover the budget."

The CCEJ Gyeonggi chapter urged, "Governor Choo declared a 'fiscal emergency' last month and implemented a sweeping expenditure restructuring of 546.5 billion won, yet she is showing the height of self-contradiction by leasing a 47-pyeong apartment as an official residence for her private living rather than for public purposes."

They added, "Cutting budgets by arguing that even 10 million won is too much for social economy and public interests, while justifying a 1.2 billion won lease under the name of convention, is a thorough betrayal of the 14 million residents," and demanded, "Instead of clinging to anachronistic official residence regulations, abolish the official residence system entirely."

The CCEJ Gyeonggi chapter also called for a full review of small-scale public livelihood and citizen-participation project budgets that were unprincipledly cut under the pretext of the fiscal emergency, as well as an official apology to the residents for her hypocrisy in trying to maintain vested privileges.

Previously in mid-June, Gyeonggi Province signed a lease contract worth 1.22 billion won for a 156-square-meter (47-pyeong) apartment near the provincial government complex to serve as Governor Choo's official residence.

Afterwards, as Governor Choo cut various budgets citing financial difficulties, provincial government employees posted successive criticisms on an anonymous bulletin board accusing her of double standards.

Previously, former governors Nam Kyung-pil and Lee Jae-myung commuted from their own homes, while former governor Kim Dong-yeon secured a lease at his own expense.

In response, an official from the provincial government explained, "The lease contract was made before the governor grasped the severity of the financial difficulties, and we secured the residence closest to facilitate smooth provincial administration, proceeding with the contract in accordance with relevant regulations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.