Expanded transit law passes amid political vacuum, raising questions about process

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Expanded transit law passes amid political vacuum, raising questions about process

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 00:02

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Suh Kyoung-ho

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

Two days before the Constitutional Court ruled to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, the National Assembly passed a revision to a special act on the management of metropolitan transportation, commonly known as the Daegwang Act, on April 2. The law is designed to address transportation challenges in and around major metropolitan areas at the national level. Previously, only Seoul and other major metropolitan cities were eligible for support. With the amendment, mid-sized cities with populations of more than 500,000, including surrounding areas within a shared commuting zone, are now eligible.

North Jeolla Gov. Kim Kwan-young, center, and officials at the provincial government celebrate after the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee decided on the province as the country's candidate city to bid for the 2036 Olympics at Olympic Parktel in Jamsil, southern Seoul, on Feb. 28. [NORTH JEOLLA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

Jeonju became the first city to benefit from this expanded scope. Under the amended act, national funding will cover between 30 to 70 percent of the cost of large-scale transit infrastructure, including highways, rail lines, bus rapid transit systems and transfer centers. For the region, the change marks a significant political and financial development. The North Jeolla Provincial Government issued press releases at every legislative milestone. Gov. Kim Kwan-young called the amendment “a milestone for balanced national development.”

The legislative effort dates back to the 21st National Assembly under the Moon Jae-in administration, when lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties representing Jeonju began pushing for the change. The proposal, however, ran into stiff resistance from the central government and the conservative party. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) argued that the amendment undermined the purpose and structure of the law, raised equity concerns among similarly sized cities, and would impose an unsustainable fiscal burden. There was also concern that expanding eligibility to other cities like Suwon, Changwon, and Cheongju could exponentially increase national spending obligations.

During a legislative review in March 2023, then-Vice Minister of MOLIT Uh Myeong-so stressed the need for caution, saying the revision “shakes the core framework of the law.” Kim Dong-il, then budget official at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), echoed the sentiment, arguing that the Daegwang Act was designed to manage intercity — not intracity — transit systems. The proposal ultimately stalled in committee.

The amendment resurfaced in the 22nd National Assembly. This time, the landscape had changed. MOLIT softened its opposition. In a March 11 subcommittee meeting, MOEF continued to resist. Budget official Kang Yoon-jin warned that if Jeonju is included, “questions about why other cities are excluded will inevitably follow.” Nevertheless, the Democratic Party (DP) pushed the bill through the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee on March 13. At the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on March 26, Minister of MOLIT Park Sang-woo said the ministry was open to alternative approaches but would not oppose the bill.

Procedural integrity came under scrutiny. DP Rep. Chung Cheong-rae, the committee chair, reprimanded MOEF officials for attending without prior approval. DP Rep. Park Ji-won criticized the imbalance between capital and regional development, warning the minister not to veto the bill even if it passed the full Assembly.

Contrary to DP concerns, acting President Han Duck-soo approved the bill without changes in the April 14 Cabinet meeting. One high-ranking official at the presidential office, sidelined after the martial law declaration and Yoon’s impeachment, privately fumed, claiming MOLIT had “surrendered to the opposition party poised to take power.”

Tourists crowd a hanok (traditional Korean house) neighborhood in Jeonju, North Jeolla. [YONHAP]

The sense of grievance in Jeonju is understandable. North Jeolla remains the only region without a metropolitan transit system, and the previous version of the law arguably disadvantaged the province. Still, questions remain about the legislative process. Was it necessary to override administrative objections and bypass alternatives simply because the political moment allowed it?

The North Jeolla government hailed the passage as “a successful case of cooperation between local and national leadership amid political chaos.” That statement may be read as an admission that the amendment would have been unlikely to pass under normal circumstances — regardless of which party held power.

Supporters of balanced development and advocates for stronger local autonomy agree on the need for reform. Local governments rely on national transfers for over 70 percent of their budgets. But the revised Daegwang Act could set a difficult precedent. The central government’s institutional checks failed to function as they should. To blame this entirely on Yoon Suk Yeol is too convenient — and leaves behind a bitter aftertaste.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.