“Why is there a review?”... Jeong Han-sol, Bupyeong District Councillor, criticises ‘disempowerment of community projects’

Criticism has been raised that the ‘Creating Community Projects’ initiative in Bupyeong District, Incheon, is being poorly managed, with plans being arbitrarily changed after review. Despite being a project funded by taxpayer money, the lax management that amounts to ‘disempowerment of review’ is repeatedly occurring, highlighting the urgent need for thorough countermeasures.

Bupyeong District Councillor Jeong Han-sol (independent·Sangok 1·2-dong, Cheongcheon 1·2-dong) focused on the chronic mismanagement and lack of transparency in accounting for community project initiatives during the major business report at the 274th extraordinary session of the Administrative Welfare Committee held on the 30th.

Councillor Jeong mentioned a specific community project case, stating, “The draft from the time of review has completely disappeared, and the project has been filled with a changed plan that only has a different name internally,” and strongly criticised, “If it is acceptable to discard the reviewed original plan just because it meets the purpose, then why are we even conducting the review?” This is pointed out as an act that effectively renders the public review process useless.

Issues of accounting fraud and lack of documentation were also brought to light. Councillor Jeong referred to the recently reported issue regarding lecturer fees, stating, “The data from Botame (National Treasury Subsidy Management System) was deleted, and ultimately, the inability to provide proof of lecturer fees led to recovery measures, which is a serious matter.” He further remarked, “There is a level of suspicion as to whether the data deletion was a voluntary recovery or an act of evidence destruction,” criticising the department's complacent response.

In response, the head of the Bupyeong District Autonomous Administration stated, “This occurred because the organisation can make modifications until the project is confirmed, but the parts that could not be documented were fully recovered,” and added, “From this year, we will establish clear management guidelines and thoroughly manage to prevent accounting fraud or arbitrary changes through practical training using the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's permanent training centre.”

While Councillor Jeong proposed ways to activate the hometown love donation system, he maintained a firm stance on community projects. He stated, “It is good for community projects to become a lifeline for residents, but the execution of the budget must be transparent,” and urged, “While lowering the entry barriers, the department must strictly monitor the taxpayer money that has been invested through constant monitoring.”