Lee Ik-sung, Bupyeong District Councillor, "Bupyeong District's Financial Crisis is Serious... We Need Special Measures Such as Interest-Free Installment Payments for City-Owned Land"

Lee Ik-sung, Bupyeong District Councillor (People Power Party·Bupyeong 2, 5, 6-dong, Bugae 1-dong, Ilshin-dong), directly targeted the poor financial situation of Bupyeong District and strongly urged for strategic budget securing measures that go beyond 'tight-fisted administration' in the construction of public buildings and the promotion of local issues.

During the financial department's report at the 274th extraordinary session of the Administrative Welfare Committee held on the 29th, Councillor Lee mentioned the construction of the Sangok 2-dong Administrative Welfare Centre and proposed budget-saving measures. He emphasised, "We are in a position where we may have to issue local bonds to secure the 5 billion won needed for the purchase of the Sangok 2-dong government building site. Instead of pouring district funds into purchasing city-owned land, we should strongly demand Incheon City for '5-year interest-free installment payments' to reduce interest burdens."

He further cited the recent opening of the Bupyeong 5-dong government building as an example, stating, "Despite the small land area, the design is densely constructed up to six floors, which has increased resident satisfaction, which is encouraging." However, regarding the design of the Sangok 2-dong government building, he ordered, "Despite the site area being much larger than that of Bupyeong 5-dong, the total floor area is designed to be smaller, which is inefficient. The design process should be re-evaluated to secure more resident communication spaces."

He also made sharp criticisms regarding the long-standing issue of the 'Mitsubishi Housing Maintenance Project'. Councillor Lee expressed concern, stating, "As the service results have been delayed, residents' fatigue has reached its peak. The project cost, which was initially 6 billion won, is now expected to have soared to over 10 billion won, and it is questionable whether the National Heritage Administration's funding support (50%) is confirmed."

He instructed the Cultural Tourism Department, saying, "Do not just believe the statement that 50% support is guaranteed; send an official document to the National Heritage Administration asking about the actual support amount and timing, and based on the response, develop a meticulous funding plan."

Additionally, regarding the 30th anniversary of the Bupyeong Folk Festival, he stated, "As the budget scale increases due to the selection of the project, the plans must be made more sophisticated," and expressed his belief that "it is right to significantly reduce the practice of forcing donations from local businesses or residents during difficult economic times to match the budget scale."

Finally, Councillor Lee urged, "Even in a difficult revenue situation, public officials must act dynamically for the happiness of the residents," and requested, "Please carry out active administration to minimise the issuance of local bonds and to attract as much city and national funding as possible."