National Audit Settlement Five Suwon-Region National Assembly Members: Regional Issues and Tasks

The 2026 National Assembly has essentially completed its national audit schedule. Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, with five electoral districts (A, B, C, D, E), has all five representatives positioned in key standing committees and leadership positions handling major national policy issues, drawing attention from local residents and political circles from the outset.

During this audit, Suwon-region members questioned investigating agencies and took action regarding major local priority projects including the Gyeonggi Southern Integrated International Airport initiative, advanced semiconductor cluster linkage, metropolitan transportation network expansion, old planned city redevelopment, and deregulation of education and redevelopment restrictions.

This analysis comprehensively examines the primary activities, achievements, and remaining tasks of the five Suwon-region National Assembly members during the audit.

■ Placing Regional Issues on National Agenda…Achievements in Transportation, Industry, Airports, and Education

The most notable achievement gained by Suwon-region members in this audit was placing community-focused issues on the national agenda. A member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee logically challenged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Suwon military airport relocation and the rationale for Gyeonggi Southern Integrated International Airport construction.

Particularly significant was substantiating with data the increased noise damage compensation costs for local residents due to delayed airport relocation, urging a more forward-looking attitude from investigating agencies. Additionally, members of the Industry, Trade, Resource and SME Venture Business Committee, the Administration and Safety Committee, and the Education Committee urged strengthened R&D infrastructure support for the semiconductor belt connecting Suwon and southern Gyeonggi, and improvements to the educational environment, presenting alternatives on tax incentives and regulatory innovation to simultaneously target regional economic vitalization and national advanced industry ecosystem development.

Inspecting budget execution rates for major metropolitan transportation network projects including the Shinbundang Line extension, the Indeokwon-Dongtan double-track railway, and GTX routes, and securing positive government responses by demanding support measures for old planned city redevelopment and resolution of overcrowded classrooms are also counted as achievements.

■ [Individual Member Analysis] Five Members' Different Audit Scorecards…Achievements and Tasks?

◇ Kim Seung-won (Suwon City District A / Democratic Party / Industry, Trade, Resource and SME Venture Business Committee)

• Achievement: As a member of the Industry, Trade, Resource and SME Venture Business Committee, inspected industrial infrastructure support measures for the southern Gyeonggi semiconductor belt and Suwon region, and urged support for small businesses in the old city center and regional economic vitalization measures.

• Task: Must overcome limitations where policy questioning is overshadowed by partisan political disputes between ruling and opposition, and produce tangible legislative results such as passage of deregulation bills to accelerate Jangan-gu redevelopment.

◇ Baek Hye-ryeon (Suwon City District B / Democratic Party / Industry, Trade, Resource and SME Venture Business Committee)

• Achievement: As a three-term senior member, strongly demanded coordination between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and local governments for the key western Suwon priority projects of Tapdong City and Western Suwon R&D Park development, advanced technology company attraction, and Shinbundang Line extension.

• Task: Must overcome regret that firepower was concentrated on government checks and sophisticated policy alternatives failed to receive attention, and must secure national funding for western Suwon advanced industrial infrastructure and resolve administrative procedures.

◇ Kim Young-jin (Suwon City District C / Democratic Party / Administration and Safety Committee Chair)

• Achievement: As National Assembly Administration and Safety Committee Chair, stably oversaw national audit proceedings, and strongly urged administrative and public safety infrastructure expansion in Paldal-gu's old city center along with local tax reduction for residents whose property rights have been restricted by Suwon Hwaseong historical and cultural environment preservation regulations, proposing autonomous decentralization alternatives.

• Task: There is an aspect where weight has been placed on nationwide issues and National Assembly operations while serving as committee chair. Must exercise leadership as chair while simultaneously producing concrete legislative and budgetary results for Paldal-gu old city center deregulation and resolution of regional issues.

◇ Kim Jun-hyuk (Suwon City District D / Democratic Party / Education Committee)

• Achievement: As an Education Committee member, carefully inspected national education issues including normalization of public education and resolution of educational disparities. In particular, focused on expanding regional education infrastructure by strongly urging education authorities and investigating agencies on resolving overcrowded classrooms and establishing new schools/additions to existing schools in Suwon's Yeongtong and Gwanggyo new towns—the region's most urgent priority—and improving educational environments.

• Task: Must recover weakened clarity of questioning amid external partisan controversy and continuously monitor progress on resolving overcrowded classrooms in Yeongtong and Gwanggyo areas to produce on-site focused legislative achievements that local parents and residents can experience.

◇ Yeom Tae-young (Suwon City District E / Democratic Party / Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee)

• Achievement: Living up to his expertise as an administrative specialist with background as Suwon Mayor and Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Economics, conducted "site-focused policy audits" at the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. Strongly pressured the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to reflect the "Gyeonggi Southern Integrated International Airport construction" plan linked to Suwon military airport relocation in the "7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan," and directly addressed Suwon metropolitan transportation network issues including Seoul Line 3 extension (southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway), GTX routes, and early commencement of Shinbundang Line construction.

• Task: Induced positive responses during Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audits; however, the Gyeonggi Southern Integrated International Airport and metropolitan railway network involve sharply conflicting interests between adjacent local governments (Hwaseong City, etc.) and related agencies. Must move beyond simple questioning of investigating agencies to prepare compromise measures to mediate conflicts between local governments and connect them to concrete achievements such as actual government upper-level plan confirmation.

■ Policy Questioning Overshadowed by Partisan Disputes…Must Overcome Limitations Through Budget and Legislative Results

Clear limitations remain behind policy achievements. Some members focused on confrontation between central political factions, with prepared policy questioning obscured by partisan arguments or failing to receive media attention.

There are also criticisms that issues identified at field sites lack specific bill amendments and budget implementation roadmaps to prevent them from remaining one-off questioning. Additionally, on issues like the Gyeonggi Southern Integrated International Airport or metropolitan transportation network where interests sharply clash with adjacent local governments, members failed to move beyond simple questioning to produce mediation measures promoting mutual benefit among local governments—a limitation they left unresolved.

The national audit is not the end but the beginning of the regular parliamentary session. To address problems revealed during investigating agencies during audit and resolve regional issues, substantive results must be produced in the budget review and bill deliberation to follow.

Suwon-region National Assembly members must launch an all-out effort at the Budget and Accounts Committee and relevant standing committees to ensure that issues identified in this audit directly connect to Suwon City's national funding acquisition for next year. An era calling for responsible legislative activity that moves beyond one-off questioning to produce results in improved quality of life and regional development that Suwon citizens can experience is at hand.