Busan: Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who is seeking a third term in the upcoming local elections on June 3, shaved his head in front of the National Assembly on Monday. The act was a protest to urge the swift passage of a special bill intended to transform Busan into a global hub.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the "Special Act on the Development of Busan as a Global Hub City" aims to provide regulatory and tax incentives to establish Busan as a key hub for logistics, finance, and other industries. The bill has been stalled at a parliamentary committee for almost two years, having been reintroduced in May 2024 after its previous dismissal at the end of the last Assembly term.
Mayor Park expressed his frustration, highlighting that while special acts for Gangwon and North Jeolla provinces were passed immediately following public hearings last week, the Busan proposal was ignored. He labeled this as "regional discrimination" in his statement to reporters after his head-shaving protest.
The move by Park follows the recent approval of development bills for North Jeolla Province and Gangwon Province during a subcommittee meeting of the Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee. Park emphasized the potential of the proposed legislation to enable Busan to evolve into an international business hub akin to Singapore or Hong Kong.
Additionally, Park criticized the lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party. He accused them of initially promising to develop Busan into a global maritime hub but later obstructing the city's prospects. He expressed his concern about facing the people of Busan if the bill fails to pass during his current term.
Park is set to compete against first-term lawmaker Rep. Joo Jin-woo in a primary to become the main opposition People Power Party's candidate for the Busan mayoral race.