Gyeonggi Provincial Council debates budget cuts and integrity mandates

The Gyeonggi Provincial Council is currently addressing two significant legislative matters during its 393rd extraordinary session.

Council members have raised serious concerns regarding unilateral budget cuts in the supplementary budget proposed by the provincial executive. Specifically, Representative Kim Seong-gi criticized a 44.7% reduction in the 'Caregiving SOS Project' budget, noting that approximately 600 beneficiaries may lose support. Representative Choi Kyu-jin also condemned the lack of prior consultation regarding a 53.6 billion won budget reduction and criticized the preemptive scaling back of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs) budget.

Separately, Council Speaker Nam Jong-seop has introduced an amendment to the Gyeonggi Provincial Council Member Code of Conduct Ordinance. Supported by 155 members, the amendment aims to mandate annual anti-corruption training for all provincial council members. This move seeks to transition integrity from a symbolic value into a mandatory institutional requirement to restore public trust.