Seoul Metropolitan Council Significantly Reduces Standing Committee Schedule in Temporary Session to Respond to COVID-19

Chairman Shin Won-chul: "Minimize City Council Schedule to Enable Seoul City to Implement Top-Level Response Measures"... All 9 Standing Committees' Meetings Drastically Reduced from 38 to 14 Days... Agency Reports Replaced by Written Submissions per Committee

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Shin Won-chul) has decided to modify the agenda schedule for the 291st extraordinary session, which will be held over 15 days from February 21 to March 6.

As the crisis alert level for COVID-19 has been raised to the highest level, "Severe," the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to minimize the standing committee agenda originally scheduled for the extraordinary session to allow all efforts to be focused on operating appropriate countermeasures.

Earlier on the 21st, the Seoul Metropolitan Council also canceled the city administration questions planned for two days on the 24th and 25th, replacing them with urgent questions regarding COVID-19 prevention and livelihood measures.

The standing committee agenda and operations will be changed as follows.

First, the total number of meetings for the nine standing committees will be drastically reduced from a cumulative 38 days to 14 days. The number of meeting days, originally scheduled for 3 to 4 days per committee, will be reduced to 1 to 2 days, and field visits by the Environment and Water Resources Committee and the Transportation Committee will be canceled.

Additionally, work reports from agencies under each standing committee’s jurisdiction will be replaced with written reports.

Along with this, the number of executive branch personnel attending meetings will be minimized to only essential personnel related to the agenda items.

Furthermore, as the number of meeting days is significantly reduced, discussions on COVID-19 related countermeasures by each jurisdiction and agenda items that urgently need to be handled during this session will be processed, while other agenda items will be postponed until after COVID-19.

Chairman Shin Won-chul stated, “Since this is an urgent time when Seoul must activate proactive and preemptive response measures, we have decided to minimize the council’s agenda schedule so that Seoul can implement the highest level of countermeasures,” and promised, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council will actively cooperate with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and devote all efforts to protecting citizens’ safety and overcoming the crisis.”

Chairman Shin added, “This is a time when mature civic consciousness and consideration from Seoul citizens are required,” and requested, “Please thoroughly maintain personal hygiene such as wearing masks and washing hands for the time being, and refrain from participating in public events where many people gather.”