REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKPolitics behind oceans ministry's cafeteria closure

Rep. Chun Jae-soo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea declares his candidacy for Busan mayor in front of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters in Busan, April 2. Yonhap

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was once again used by the Lee Jae Myung administration to court voters in Busan ahead of the local elections scheduled for June 3.

Starting this month, the ministry began closing its cafeteria on the last Friday of every month.

The decision came after nearby restaurant owners complained that the cafeteria’s opening in February hurt their earnings, as rents surged following the ministry’s relocation from Sejong to the southeastern port city last December.

Announcing the decision Thursday through an unplanned press release, the Busan-headquartered organization acknowledged that the closure is intended to support nearby commercial districts.

“After two months of operation, we found that about one-third of our employees use the cafeteria, while the rest dine at nearby restaurants,” the ministry said. “The cafeteria sources all ingredients locally and employs local residents.”

Restaurants in Busan saw a temporary boost in customers during the first two months after the ministry’s relocation, when it did not operate a cafeteria. At the time, restaurant owners welcomed the move, which had been one of Lee’s campaign pledges.

Although the president had floated the idea of providing meal allowances to employees of relocated public institutions instead of running cafeterias, the ministry opened its cafeteria, offering meals for 5,000 won ($3.40), which worsened public sentiment in Busan.

Local newspapers reported that nearby commercial districts lost vitality, as ministry employees spent less money than workers at call centers that had previously occupied the ministry building.

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party also criticized the administration for neglecting the city after the relocation.

“A restaurant owner told me that lunchtime customers disappeared after the cafeteria opened and that ministry employees leave before dinner,” the lawmaker wrote on social media last month. “Without bringing more customers to nearby stores, the relocation has only driven up rents.”

Joo especially denounced former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, a three-term lawmaker representing a Busan district, who led the relocation and is now running for Busan mayor.

When Chun was appointed as the Lee administration’s first oceans minister to oversee the relocation, the move was widely seen as an attempt to win support from Busan voters ahead of the local elections, although the government cited plans to develop the city into a maritime hub in anticipation of Arctic shipping routes.

Speculation intensified earlier this month when Chun chose the ministry’s headquarters as the venue to announce his candidacy.

Given the administration’s all-out effort to wrest the Busan mayoralty from the opposition, the ministry’s decision to close its cafeteria may come as little surprise.

Still, concerns remain that the maritime authority’s repeated involvement in political issues could distract it from addressing pressing challenges at a critical time, including prolonged disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.