Petition for Governor Choo Mi-ae's Resignation Surpasses 10,000 Supporters

A petition from Gyeonggi Province residents demanding the resignation of Governor Choo Mi-ae has surpassed 10,000 supporters. This marks the first time a petition calling for the resignation of a sitting Gyeonggi Province governor has met the requirements for an official response.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 14th, the petition titled "I petition for Governor Choo Mi-ae's resignation," posted on the 11th, surpassed 10,000 supporters at 5:27 p.m. that day.

As of 6:30 a.m. that morning, supporters numbered only around 1,000, but as word of the petition spread, over 9,000 additional supporters participated within a single day.

Gyeonggi Province petitions are considered established if 10,000 or more supporters agree within 30 days of posting. The governor must provide a direct response within 30 days of the petition being established.

The petitioner cited issues with Governor Choo's declaration of a "fiscal emergency" last month, expenditure restructuring worth 545.6 billion won, and reductions in the province's subsidy support ratio for municipal and county projects.

The petitioner particularly criticized budget cuts to livelihood and welfare spending, including the suspension of postpartum care support and reductions in civil servant incentives, alongside the governor's contract for an official residence with a deposit exceeding 1.2 billion won.

The petitioner argued: "Gyeonggi Province's debt-to-budget ratio is approximately 12 percent, lower than the 25 percent crisis standard set by law. The governor should acknowledge the inability to take responsibility for residents' lives and resign voluntarily."

Regarding the postpartum care support controversy, Governor Choo explained: "The 9th civilian administration did not arbitrarily cut the budget; this year's budget was only allocated for nine months initially," adding that priority was given to supporting infertility treatment for couples.

With the petition officially established, Gyeonggi Province plans to proceed with relevant procedures and present Governor Choo's response.