Uljin-gun council's full cut of livelihood aid budget sparks uproar

Residents accuse council of 'stabbing them in the back'

Uljin-gun council building. (Herald DB)
Uljin-gun council building. (Herald DB)

Residents of Uljin-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, have protested after the county council slashed the entire budget for a livelihood stabilization support project. The project would have paid 300,000 won ($224) to every resident ahead of chuseok.

According to Uljin-gun officials Thursday, the county council passed a supplementary budget bill during its regular session Tuesday. The bill cut the entire 14.05 billion won earmarked for the residents' livelihood stabilization support project.

In August, the county submitted a supplementary budget bill to the council, seeking to give every resident 300,000 won via the Uljin Sarang Card, a local prepaid card, before chuseok. The bill included the corresponding budget for the project.

However, the council's Budget and Settlement Special Committee rejected the funding Monday, according to officials. Four of its seven members — all affiliated with the People Power Party — voted against it, citing concerns over fiscal soundness. The council redirected the cut funds to a reserve fund. The three independent council members who had voted in favor reportedly did not attend the following day's plenary session.

Afterward, a banner reading "Go eat X" — a crude insult — was hung outside the Uljin-gun council building. The banner also carried an image of feces beneath the phrase "You are beautiful for keeping the environment clean." The name of the Uljin-gun Village Chiefs Association appeared at the bottom.

Complaints and criticism have also flooded the council's website bulletin board.

On the council's public forum, residents voiced angry reactions. One resident wrote, "We elected them to work for the people, and they stabbed us in the back." Another wrote, "The PPP council members have smeared their own party." A third asked, "Who proposed the scholarship for village heads' children, and why was it passed?" Another asked, "Do they think PPP nominations are scary but Uljin residents are pushovers?" One comment read, "You're supposed to plant seeds in your own field, not plow it up." Another said, "Each local council member gets 50 million won in pay — that's too much tax money. Let's make it an honorary post again."

Meanwhile, an Uljin-gun official said, "Since the county council cut the entire budget, we plan to review whether to pursue the project again."


jshan@heraldcorp.com