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| Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea hold a rally urging the National Assembly to pass a special bill for the construction of an airport on Gadeok Island in Busan, Feb. 7. Korea Times file |
By Kang Seung-woo
The rival parties and their candidates running in the upcoming mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan are raising eyebrows for their ill-advised promoting of vote-buying social overhead capital (SOC) projects.
Critics say given that the winning candidate will stay in office until the next local elections, scheduled for June 2022, such large construction plans, pursued recklessly without reviewing their economic feasibility, would lead to a waste of taxpayers' money with many of them likely to remain central and local government liabilities.
The mayoral posts of the nation's largest- and second-largest cities have been vacant following the resignation of former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don and the suicide of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon amid accusations of sexual harassment.
A recent National Assembly committee's approval of a special bill aimed at constructing a new international airport on Busan's Gadeok Island, among others, is taking flak for being pork-barrel politics in desperate bids by the two main parties to win the elections.
As part of efforts to woo voters, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) agreed to skip a preliminary feasibility study on the airport plan, although it is estimated that the government will have to spend up to 10.7 trillion won ($9.66 billion) on the project.
According to relevant laws, any state infrastructure project costing 50 billion won or more, including at least 30 billion won of state funding, is required to have such a study performed to ensure its economic viability and prevent the waste of taxpayers' money.
In addition, given that studies on the airport plan have already proven it to be economically unfeasible under the two previous administrations, their blind pitch for a new airport in Busan is putting the two parties in the hot seat.
Some politicians admit that the plan has degenerated into a politic issue to curry favor with voters in the region.
Rep. Sim Sang-jeung of the minor opposition Justice Party denounced the move as "vote-buying."
"As anybody knows, the passage of the special bill is aimed at currying favor with voters and it is a product of the rival parties' collusion," Sim said.
In the race for the Seoul mayoral post, some questionable SOC pledges are also being made as potential PPP candidates are vowing to build a landmark building of 100 stories or more.
Oh Se-hoon, a former Seoul mayor, unveiled his plan to erect a 133-story tower in Digital Media City in western Seoul, while Na Kyung-won, a former four-term lawmaker, also proposed building a skyscraper of more than 100 stories, labeling it as a long-cherished business wish in the western region.
DPK contenders are also absorbed in pitching eye-catching yet nonsensical housing pledges amid growing complaints about the Moon Jae-in administration's failure to curb skyrocketing prices.
Park Young-sun, a former minister of SMEs and startups, pledged to build 300,000 public houses within five years, while Rep. Woo Sang-ho, a former DPK floor leader, also promised to provide 160,000 public houses.
Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party who is a leading contender in multiple public polls, also said he would build 746,000 houses after easing regulations on reconstruction and redevelopment.
