Councilman Bae Sang-rok of Michuhol District, "There Should Be No 'Relative Deprivation' in the Selection of Recipients... We Must Focus on Ensuring Thorough Fairness"

Councilman Bae Sang-rok (Democratic Party, Dohwa 1·2·3·Juan 5·6) of the Michuhol District Council strongly urged for fairness in the selection process of basic livelihood recipients and a fundamental improvement in the elderly welfare facilities.

During the welfare construction committee's report at the 293rd temporary session of the Michuhol District Council held on the 28th, Councilman Bae directly addressed the issue of residents' 'relative deprivation' caused by the uncertainty of selection criteria and welfare blind spots.

Councilman Bae stated, "In the field, those who appear to have assets are becoming recipients, while truly needy individuals are being excluded, leading to continuous complaints regarding fairness," and emphasized, "Although the 11-member investigation team is working hard through night shifts, we need to establish a more sophisticated and fair system to ensure that no wronged residents arise beyond mere document verification." He also requested that efforts be made to focus on 'experiential promotion' so that recipients can fully understand complex systems such as medical benefit days.

Furthermore, Councilman Bae voiced criticism regarding the operation methods of over 170 community centers within Michuhol District. He suggested, "We should refrain from simply expanding community centers that focus on gathering and spending time together, and instead, we need to shift the paradigm to establish 'small-scale elderly cultural centers' regionally, where seniors can enjoy cultural, educational, and health programs."

Councilman Bae added, "Rather than being preoccupied with increasing the number of community centers due to political interests, the role of administration is to create 'high-quality welfare spaces' that can genuinely change the actions and quality of life of the elderly."

In response, a district official stated, "We are continuously developing leisure programs for community centers and will do our best to ensure fairness in the selection process of recipients."