Seoul mayor hits back: Free rides amid heavy dust pollution 'not populism'

By Ko Dong-hwan

Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil called Seoul Mayor Park Won-sun’s unprecedented decision Monday to offer free public transit rides amid extreme air pollution “populism.” The comment angered the mayor Wednesday, who attacked Nam for not having joined the measure.

Nam demanded at a press conference Tuesday that Park shut down the “populism-bound makeshift measure that wasted 5 billion won ($4.7 million).” The governor said the free-ride solution would cost 50 billion won over 10 days and 150 billion won in a month.

Park criticized Nam the next day on radio shows on CBS and MBC. The free-ride measure was to encourage citizens to leave their cars at home and use public transportation so there would be less air pollution, he said.

“When the extreme air pollution threatened people’s health, it was imperative that Seoul enact a countermeasure,” Park said. “I don’t understand why it is something to attract any criticism.”

On Monday, particulate matter level PM10 in Seoul hit nearly 100 micrograms per cubic meter. A level above 64 is considered “bad.” The effect was clearly visible around the city, with the sky looking foggy with dust clouds. The pollution’s severity is expected to continue this week.

“What did the governor do on Monday when Gyeonggi Province recorded a worse air pollution level than Seoul?” Park said Wednesday. “If he had enacted the free-ride measure on that day, it could have encouraged more people not to use their vehicles, bringing air pollution levels lower.”

Park said Nam should not approach the issue from a political perspective and questioned why he would choose between a “5 billion won budget and citizens’ lives and health.”

Park said the free rides cut traffic volumes on Monday by 1.8 percent, which he called “not a bad figure for a fresh measure.” But he hoped the figure would be in double digits.

Free transportation was again offered on Wednesday.