Kim Dong-yeon, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, defended a recently implemented child support policy aimed at undocumented immigrant children on August 8, responding to criticism from lawmaker Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party. Joo had characterized the policy as 'populism' intended to attract foreign votes, prompting Kim to challenge this view in a Facebook post. He pointed out that such a criticism is hypocritical, highlighting that the initiative was based on a regulation proposed by lawmakers from Joo's own party last year, thus questioning the genuine political motives behind labeling it as populism.

Further addressing Joo's comments about potential 'support funds,' Kim clarified that the funding is allocated directly to child care facilities, countering claims that these funds support undocumented immigrants inappropriately. He emphasized that referring to these funds as 'illegal immigrant support funds' not only mischaracterizes the facts but also misleads the public, demonstrating a serious misunderstanding of the policy's objectives.

Moreover, Kim expressed his displeasure over Joo’s framing of voting rights in relation to undocumented immigrants, stating that it misrepresents the situation since, according to current law, these individuals do not possess voting rights. He strongly advocated for the protection of the rights of undocumented immigrant children, emphasizing their integration into society and urging against politicizing their fundamental rights. Gyeonggi Province views this child support initiative as a crucial step in ensuring safety and promoting social integration amidst a population of approximately 680,000 foreign residents.