Fairness and Procedural Legality Questioned in Incheon’s Selection of Vehicle License Plate Issuance Contractor

【Financial News Incheon = Reporter Han Gap-su】 Questions have been raised over the fairness and procedural legality of Incheon Metropolitan City Government’s selection of a contractor for issuing vehicle registration license plates.
Cho Seong-min, a member of the Incheon Metropolitan Council, and Oh Se-young, the representative of a company that was disqualified after participating in the bidding process, held a press conference on the 9th and called for a review of the recently conducted selection process.
For the first time, the bidding process divided the vehicle registration license plate issuance contract, which had been handled by a single company for about 45 years, into two regions—northern and southern—and selected two companies. However, controversy arose over whether there had been genuine competition after it became known that the representatives of the two selected companies were father and son.
Oh claimed that the two companies operate at the same business site, hold shares in each other, and have a business relationship in which the son’s company supplies the father’s company.
Oh also questioned the evaluation process, saying that his company received the highest score in the fee-related category for each type of license plate out of a total of 100 points, but ultimately ranked third. He added, however, that objective verification is needed to determine whether the relationship between the companies actually affected the evaluation.
Councilor Cho argued that there were problems with the selection procedure itself, separate from the special relationship between the companies. Although the selection was made through an evaluation by the Review Committee for Designating Contractors, he said he could not find a basis for establishing the committee in Incheon Metropolitan City ordinances or relevant laws.
Councilor Cho pointed out, “The mayor’s policy directive is not a law or an ordinance,” adding, “The government cannot use a single policy directive to act beyond the law and ordinances.” He argued that under the Local Autonomy Act, the establishment of a review committee requires a basis in statutes or ordinances, whereas the basis presented by Incheon Metropolitan City Government was merely a mayoral policy directive.
He also raised concerns that the authority to designate contractors for issuing vehicle registration license plates had been delegated to district heads under the Incheon Metropolitan City Ordinance on the Delegation of Administrative Affairs. Councilor Cho said the entire process—from the recruitment notice to the review and notification of the selection results—was conducted in the name of the mayor of Incheon, arguing that the city government should have revised the relevant ordinances in advance if it intended to select the contractors directly.
Councilor Cho emphasized that there may be nothing inherently wrong with the city government consolidating and pursuing the contractor-selection process, but said it should have first established the necessary legal and institutional basis before adjusting the allocation of authority.
He also cited examples from other local governments to highlight the need for institutional improvements. Seoul Metropolitan Government stipulates the contractor-designation method, evaluation criteria, and review committee in its ordinances, while Gimpo City explicitly lists duplicate applications by family members as grounds for disqualification.
Councilor Cho demanded that Incheon Metropolitan City Government disclose the legal basis for establishing the review committee and for the city government’s directly handling duties delegated to district heads. He also called for a legal review of the entire selection process and a report to the city council. In addition, he said he would prepare an ordinance amendment clarifying the contractor-designation procedure and the allocation of authority.
Councilor Cho said, “I am not asking for a particular company to be selected or disqualified. I am asking whether the administration followed the procedures and exercised its authority as prescribed by law,” adding, “We will improve the system so that this matter does not end as a single controversy.”
Meanwhile, Incheon Metropolitan City Government is reported to have conducted a legal review concluding that there were no grounds to cancel the selection because the two selected companies are legally separate corporations. However, it reportedly acknowledged that there were suspicious circumstances regarding the special relationship between the companies. Oh is also reported to have filed an administrative lawsuit over the selection results, drawing attention to the court’s forthcoming decision.
[email protected] Han Gap-su Reporter