[Interview] Hong Jae-hee, vice chair of Seoul Metropolitan Council's Environment and Water Resources Committee

Hong Jae-hee, vice chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Environment and Water Resources Committee and a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Gangseo Ward 5, said the intent behind the council's budget deliberations and approvals must be more faithfully reflected in how the city administration spends public funds. She said the council's original purpose in approving spending should be considered alongside the legal question of whether the Future Han River Bureau's budget execution constitutes a formal reallocation.

On climate change, Hong said Seoul needs to move beyond policies centered on post-disaster recovery and build a proactive response system that accounts for risk levels and vulnerable populations in each district. On Han River policy, she said she supports creating more leisure and cultural spaces for residents to enjoy the river, but stressed that development and preservation of the natural environment must remain in balance.

Speaking in an interview Thursday, Hong said of the Future Han River Bureau's spending on certain budget items: "The budget the council originally approved had a clear purpose. That intent must be sufficiently respected throughout the execution process."

She said the issue should not be judged solely on whether the spending technically qualifies as a budget "reallocation" under the law. The council reviews the necessity and scale of a project based on the business plan submitted by the administration before approving funds, she said, so spending those funds on a project that differs in timing or nature from the original plan requires examining whether the spirit of the council's deliberation has also been honored.

Hong said respecting the council's intent throughout the budgeting and execution process matters regardless of whether the spending meets the formal definition of a reallocation under the Local Finance Act. The focus should not be limited to whether legal procedures were followed, she said, but should also include whether the purpose and intent behind the council's approval are being maintained in practice.

Hong served four years on the Gangseo-gu District Council before joining the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council, expanding the scope of her legislative work to the city as a whole. Having served under both the ruling and opposition parties at the district level, she now sits as an opposition lawmaker on the city council, tasked with overseeing and checking the Seoul Metropolitan Government administration.

Her role as vice chair of the Environment and Water Resources Committee is closely tied to issues in her home district. Gangseo-gu borders the Han River, and Seoul Energy Corp.'s thermal energy supply project is directly linked to the Gangseo and Yangcheon areas.

On climate response, Hong said Seoul's policies have room for improvement on proactive, district-tailored measures — particularly compared with the city's stronger track record on post-disaster recovery and facility expansion.

Citing semi-basement households at risk of flooding and disparities in heat-response facilities across districts, Hong said Seoul needs to move beyond fixing problems after disasters strike and instead assess in advance the risk levels and response capacity of all 25 autonomous districts.

"Both heat waves and heavy rainfall should not simply be left to individual districts," she said. "Seoul must first identify the disparities and risk levels by area and proactively present countermeasures."

On Han River policy, Hong put forward "harmony between development and environmental preservation" as her guiding principle. She said she supports expanding leisure and cultural spaces so that both Seoul residents and foreign tourists can enjoy the river, but called for a more cautious approach to development in areas where natural restoration has already taken place.

Hong pointed to the upstream Banpo section of the Han River, where the city has been considering a floating food zone, as an example. She said that stretch has been the subject of a natural restoration project, and argued that any new facility there requires thorough review to ensure it is consistent with the existing policy direction.

"Creating resident-friendly leisure and cultural spaces is necessary," she said, "but we must not create the paradox of losing through development what we worked hard to restore in nature."

On the Han River bus service — a source of ongoing controversy during the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council — Hong said the 12th council should now move past diagnosing problems and focus on presenting solutions.

Given the significant budget already committed to the project, she said the council should not approach it purely as a question of whether to continue or scrap the service. Instead, it should use the problems identified so far to chart a course for improving the project's structure and operations. If the 11th Environment and Water Resources Committee was the stage for diagnosing problems, she said, the 12th committee needs to place greater weight on developing a plan for normalization and improvement.

Among the pressing local issues in her Gangseo-gu district, Hong flagged thermal energy supply as a key concern. She noted that the Gangseo and Yangcheon areas have a large number of apartment complexes that rely on district heating, and that the Magok area has also been designated a mandatory district-heating zone.

She said a supply shortage in the Gangseo and Yangcheon thermal energy network is expected from 2028, and called on the Seoul Metropolitan Government to take a more active role in ensuring that Seoul Energy Corp.'s related projects do not fall behind schedule.

Expanding public access to the Han River waterfront in Gangseo was another priority she raised. She said ecological preservation zones should maintain their conservation principles, but that areas such as Yeomchang-dong and Gayang-dong need better access and more rest spaces so residents can use the Han River more conveniently.

Hong said she plans to explore a range of options — including expanding walking paths and rest areas — through research and commissioned studies, with the goal of improving Han River access and convenience for Gangseo residents.

Even after becoming a city council member, she said she intends to maintain the constituent-focused approach she developed during her time on the district council. While handling citywide policy and large budgets may leave less time for face-to-face meetings with residents, she said she is committed to keeping those lines of communication open.

"As an opposition lawmaker, I will faithfully carry out the council's core role of oversight and checks — but I will not oppose things simply for the sake of opposing them," she said. "Where cooperation with the administration is warranted, I will support it wholeheartedly, and I will practice a politics of listening by meeting as many residents as possible."