Seongnam City's "UN Forum" at Risk of Cancellation Amid Political Infighting... City Council Cuts Budget to Zero

Seongnam City’s UN transportation forum faces setback
Forum secured for the first time in Korea in 18 years...
City council cuts the entire 550 million won budget
40 to 50 countries expected to attend next March
City warns of damage to interna

An international event that Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, secured after nearly a year of talks with the United Nations (UN) is now at risk after the Seongnam City Council cut its entire budget, sparking controversy. A major international conference expected to draw minister-level delegations from 40 to 50 countries is facing possible cancellation just months before it is due to take place. Critics say, "Political infighting has only undermined the credibility of the country and local governments abroad."

Seongnam City Hall. Provided by Seongnam City.

Seongnam City said on November 3 that the entire 550 million won city budget for the 17th Asia High-Level Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum, scheduled for March 2027, was cut at the first plenary session of the 314th Seongnam City Council extraordinary session held on October 30.

According to Seongnam City, Democratic Party of Korea council members led the effort to cut the budget, while People Power Party members opposed it.

The forum is scheduled to take place at Seongnam City Hall from March 16 to 19 next year. The city expects about 300 attendees, including minister-level government representatives in charge of transportation from 40 to 50 Asian countries, as well as officials and experts from Korea and abroad.

The event drew attention as the first UN-affiliated international conference that Seongnam City has hosted and the first to be held in Korea in 18 years, since 2009.

The United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), which is organizing the event, operates under the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and supports international cooperation on regional development and sustainable development. Seongnam City has been preparing for the event in consultation with the center since November last year and visited UN Headquarters in July to discuss ways to cooperate.

Seongnam City plans to use the forum as an opportunity to discuss sustainable transport policies and promote the region's advanced technologies and industrial capabilities abroad. The city says that any disruption to the event could erode trust with UN-affiliated organizations and reduce opportunities for local companies to expand overseas and engage in international cooperation. It also said that the city may miss out on the boost to local businesses from spending by international visitors.

"The 550 million won allocated this time is the minimum budget needed for Seongnam City to operate the event locally, while the UN directly covers international participants' airfare and accommodation," a Seongnam City official said. "This budget cut could negatively affect not only whether the international event takes place, but also the trust we have built with the international community and opportunities for Seongnam City's future industrial growth."

The official added, "We ask the City Council to reconsider its decision with an open mind and cooperate toward our shared goals of expanding international cooperation and revitalizing the local economy. We will communicate closely with the council to ensure the relevant funding is included in the fifth supplementary budget, the final opportunity to secure funding for the forum, and do our utmost to obtain the budget by fully explaining the event's importance and expected benefits."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.