The Democratic Party of Korea raised suspicions that there were favoritism in the shipbuilding process for the "Hangang Bus," a water transportation method promoted by Mayor Oh Se-hoon. The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit concluded that no relevant laws were violated and urged the Democratic Party to "stop its smear campaign against the mayor."
Democratic Party of Korea spokesperson Baek Seung-a cited claims from party member Lee Young-sil, a Seoul city councilor, in a briefing on the 31st, stating, "The city selected a start-up company with no experience in shipbuilding to manufacture six Hangang Buses, resulting in project delays and skyrocketing expenses."
Spokesperson Baek noted, "The company in question did not have a factory to build boats or even basic welding equipment" and added, "They received over 20 billion won as an advance payment but have not delivered a single boat even after a year."
Baek continued, "The bigger problem is that it has been confirmed that the contract was made at a price about double that of other companies." He also stated, "As a result, the official operation of the Hangang Bus has been delayed for almost a year, and taxpayers' money amounting to several billion won has vanished into thin air."
Spokesperson Baek asserted, "The Hangang Bus is a showy project aimed at the elections and a waste of budget for the mayor's achievements," stating that a thorough independent audit is needed regarding the allegations of favoritism and tax waste.
In response to the claims made by the city councilor, Mayor Oh stated at the Seoul City Council on the 29th, "As the project was delayed, it is likely that staff members wanted to change the company in the middle," and explained, "I received reports indicating that changing companies would only lead to more extended periods and expenses, so we had no choice but to endure it."
Mayor Oh added, "Once this project is completed, I will conduct a thorough audit of the entire process," stating, "I intend to clarify who is responsible and how the problematic company was selected at that time."
However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, through a statement by Spokesperson Lee Min-gyeong, told the Democratic Party, targeting Mayor Oh, to "stop your political offensive against the major projects of the opposition party's mayor."
Spokesperson Lee added, "The audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection that was raised by the Democratic Party is currently underway as part of last year's parliamentary inspection," noting that the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Food, and Fisheries Committee had already concluded there were "no illegalities" in their audit results related to the Hangang Bus.
The Hangang Bus is a water public transportation system that operates between seven docking stations, including Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Jamwon, Okusyu, Ttukseom, and Jamsil. It is scheduled to officially launch on Sept. 18, with fares set at 3,000 won for adults, 1,800 won for teenagers, and 1,100 won for children. To ride the Hangang Bus using the climate companion card, which allows unlimited access to public transportation for 30 days, an additional 5,000 won is required on top of the existing fare.
The Hangang Bus was originally scheduled to operate last October but has been postponed to March, then June, and now September due to delays in shipbuilding and delivery. The vessels will accommodate 155 to 199 passengers, and a total of 12 boats are expected to operate.
The regular route between Magok and Jamsil will stop at all docking stations and will take a total of 75 minutes to travel 28.9 kilometers. The express route from Magok to Yeouido to Jamsil can cover 25.8 kilometers in 54 minutes. Operating hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and the express route will only operate during weekday commuting hours.