Protests Follow Gyeonggi Budget Cuts; Gov. Choo Mi-ae Reasserts Opposition to Kim Ji-yong

[Anchor]

Related projects have been scaled back due to budget cuts by Gyeonggi Province, sparking consecutive protests in front of the provincial office. Meanwhile, Governor Choo Mi-ae has repeatedly expressed her opposition to the nominee for the Serious Crime Investigation Agency head via social media.

Reporter Choi Ho-won has the details.

[Reporter]

The road in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government office.

Around 1,000 day care center workers from across the province have gathered to protest against the budget cuts.

This is because Gyeonggi Province failed to allocate budgets for supporting day care center operating costs and improving working conditions for child care teachers for two to three months.

[Choi Mi-sun / President, Siheung Day Care Center Association: Protect the education budget so that day care centers can endure! Protect it!]

Small-business owners and traditional market representatives also gathered in front of the provincial office.

They are demanding the reinstatement of the budget for the so-called "Tongkeun Sale" project, which encourages local currency spending through cashbacks and other incentives.

[Traditional markets and commercial districts are the foundation of the national economy! The foundation, the foundation, the foundation!]

The 500,000-won postpartum care subsidy program, which had been suspended starting this month, is expected to resume soon.

Amid petitions calling for Governor Choo Mi-ae to resign, the provincial government eventually sent an official notice to 31 cities and counties on September 30 stating that it will "accept applications for postpartum care subsidies as before."

In addition, the province is reviewing the restoration of partial budgets for projects such as eco-friendly fruit distribution for children, mobility support for vulnerable transportation groups, and better treatment for corporate taxi drivers.

It also plans to adjust support unit prices and supplement insufficient financial resources to ensure day care center budgets are not cut through the end of the year.

However, the stance remains that budget cuts are inevitable in most other areas.

[Choo Mi-ae / Governor of Gyeonggi Province (last month): As for local bonds issued so far, the interest burden alone exceeds 300 million won every day this year, and next year that interest burden will be nearly 490 million to 500 million won.]

With delays in the passage of the supplementary budget bill, even projects with secured funds are experiencing setbacks, and Gyeonggi Province and the provincial assembly plan to continue last-minute negotiations through this weekend to vote on the supplementary budget.

Meanwhile, Governor Choo stated on social media last night (October 7) regarding Kim Ji-yong, nominee for the head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, saying, "Let us properly verify him," and criticized the presidential office for claiming that "nominee Kim was not a pro-Yoon prosecutor."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.