The Busan mayoral election is rapidly being reshaped into a head-on clash between "livelihood" and "development." After Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party candidate, put forward his "100-Day Emergency Livelihood Measures" pledging a full review of major cultural and infrastructure project budgets to redirect funds toward stabilizing daily life, the camp of People Power Party candidate Park Heong-jun hit back, calling it "a pledge that packages opposition as a vision." Amid prolonged high inflation and high interest rates, the debate over priorities between short-term remedies and mid-to-long-term urban competitiveness is emerging as the central axis defining the election frame.
Jeon held a press conference at the Busan Metropolitan Council on Tuesday, saying he would establish a "Special Livelihood Relief Headquarters" directly under the mayor's office immediately upon taking office to launch emergency support focused on vulnerable groups. "Protecting citizens' daily lives is the top priority right now," he said, presenting a plan to secure funds through large-scale budget restructuring. In particular, he designated key cultural projects of the current city administration — including the construction of the Busan branch of the Centre Pompidou and overseas performances commemorating the opening of the Busan Opera House — as subjects for "zero-based review," and even mentioned the possibility of suspending their execution.
The restructured finances would be channeled directly into livelihood support. The proposals include fuel subsidies for small freight truck drivers and parcel delivery workers, energy vouchers for traditional markets and small business owners, easing of public utility and local tax burdens, expanded cashback for the local currency "Dongbaekjeon," and the operation of a public job program called "Livelihood Guardians." A plan linking the introduction of special judicial police to combat illegal private lending and voice phishing was also included. "I will boldly halt non-urgent spending and redirect it to livelihoods," Jeon stressed.
The Park Heong-jun camp immediately fired back. Spokesperson Seo Ji-yeon said in a commentary that "a significant portion of Jeon's pledges are policies the Busan city government is already pursuing through a 550.8 billion won supplementary budget," arguing that "they are nothing more than a repackaging of existing policies." She added, "The pledge to halt the Pompidou branch is a decision that weakens Busan's cultural and tourism competitiveness," criticizing that "viewing tourism and cultural content as budget waste could damage the city's future."
The Park camp particularly emphasized that with Busan riding a recovery wave — surpassing 1 million foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year — building global cultural infrastructure is a core strategy for stay-type tourism and enhancing the city's brand. The Pompidou branch, they argue, is a "strategic asset" connecting the local arts ecosystem with the tourism industry, and is not a matter to be approached through the simple logic of budget cuts.
Ultimately, the election boils down to a choice over the balance between short-term livelihood stabilization and mid-to-long-term urban growth strategy. Jeon is appealing to voters with "immediate, tangible support" through fiscal reallocation, while the Park camp is pushing for "continued future investment" centered on cultural and tourism infrastructure. Within Busan's political circles, the assessment is that "the core issue is not whether livelihood and development clash, but with what weight and speed the two should be pursued in parallel."
