Free school meal conflict flares

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 04:21

Free school meal conflict flares

Posted : 2010-12-29 19:01

Updated : 2010-12-29 19:01

By Kang Shin-who

Democratic Party (DP) members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council filed a lawsuit against Mayor Oh Se-hoon, accusing him of negligence for failing to implement a controversial ordinance on free school meals.

Some 69.5 billion won has been set aside for the program.

However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to attempt to get the ordinance nullified through a court injunction.

The city mayor and council members of the DP have long been in conflict over the free lunch ordinance that was to have been applied to all elementary school students, from next year.

Earlier this month, the council passed the controversial ordinance, but faced opposition from the city government.

Under the Local Government Act, the mayor is given the right to exert a one-time refusal to the council’s decision, which Oh used. Additionally, he said he would stop administrative cooperation with the city council.

In the deepening feud, they met last Sunday and tried to narrow their gap on the free meal program, proposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. However, they failed to reach an agreement.

Council members demanded Oh apologize for his absence from council meetings, saying the mayor should have attended the sessions as part of his duties, but the mayor urged the council members to take a step back on the issue.

The council, dominated by the main opposition DP members is seeking to provide eco-friendly free meals in elementary schools next year and in middle schools from 2012.

They claim the city government only allocated 0.3 percent of next year’s budget to the free meal project, making it irrelevant for Oh to quote financial reasons in blocking it.

In contrast, Oh stands firm against the project, claiming that the program is based on populist welfare campaign.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr