13 local resident and civic groups issue joint statement

'IFEZ must not be put in reverse again'

Groups call for open scrutiny of nominee, request meeting with Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae

A critical post circulating in an online community regarding the reported nomination of a new Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority chief [Provided by reader]
A critical post circulating in an online community regarding the reported nomination of a new Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority chief [Provided by reader]

Civic groups have pushed back against the reported nomination of the ninth commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, calling for a public vetting of the nominee and a meeting with Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae.

The backlash intensified after word spread that the central government official tapped for the post was the same person at the center of the 2011 "Shanghai Scandal," an episode that drew international embarrassment for South Korea's diplomatic community. Following an outcry in local online communities, 13 resident and civic organizations in Incheon joined the chorus, denouncing the selection as an appointment made without proper scrutiny.

The 13 groups — including the Incheon General Federation, the Yeongjong International City General Federation, All That Songdo, the Cheongna International City Cafe, the Cheongna Future Alliance, the Songdo Citizens General Federation and the Geomdan Residents General Federation — issued a joint statement Wednesday, questioning whether "this appointment ultimately proceeded according to a predetermined script" and asking whether "the public vetting that civil society demanded was properly carried out."

The groups took issue with Incheon city's stated evaluation criteria, which included the candidate's vision and English proficiency. "The Incheon Free Economic Zone currently faces a pile of pressing issues — fiscal problems and stalled projects that need to be revived," they said, arguing that what needs to be verified is "not a textbook vision, but the practical ability and drive to untangle the problems at hand."

The groups warned that "entrusting a large organization like the authority to someone whose competence has not been verified is dangerous." They added that "if the same failures are repeated while key issues have already been stalled for a long time, the free economic zone will have no choice but to fall behind."

The 13 groups also said they had "consistently called for a proven, hands-on leader capable of resolving the development challenges facing Songdo, Yeongjong and Cheongna," and that it was "hard to avoid the criticism that the candidate was chosen first and the evaluation tailored to fit."

They called on Incheon city to temporarily suspend its consultation process with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and to hold an open public forum where the nominee's job performance capabilities and practical expertise could be assessed before citizens.

The groups also said the appointment should be reconsidered through a process that ensures fairness and public acceptance, and called for a meeting with Mayor Park.

"The selection of the authority commissioner is not a simple personnel matter — it is a decision that determines the future of IFEZ," the groups said. "A nomination made without proper vetting must not be allowed to put IFEZ in reverse again."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com