Election of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council Standing Committee Chairpersons in the Second Half Term... Criticism of Regional Bias

Election of Chairpersons for 10 Standing Committees Including the Operations Committee Chair... Leadership of Floor Leader Jo Sang-ho and Speaker Kim In-ho Damaged Due to Regional Bias with Kim Hee-geol as Urban Planning Management Chair and Woo Hyung-chan as Transportation Chair from Yangcheon-gu

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) held the 296th extraordinary session plenary meeting on the 14th and conducted elections for the reorganization of the 10th term's second half leadership, electing chairpersons for the Operations, Administrative Autonomy, Planning and Economy, Environment and Water Resources, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Health and Welfare, Urban Safety and Construction, Urban Planning and Management, Transportation, and Education Committees, completing the formation of 10 standing committee chairpersons.

Operations Committee Chair Kim Jeong-tae (Democratic Party, Yeongdeungpo 2), Administrative Autonomy Committee Chair Lee Hyun-chan (Democratic Party, Eunpyeong 4), Planning and Economy Committee Chair Chae In-mook (Democratic Party, Geumcheon 1), Environment and Water Resources Committee Chair Kim Jeong-hwan (Democratic Party, Dongjak 1), Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Chair Hwang Gyu-bok (Democratic Party, Guro 3), Health and Welfare Committee Chair Lee Young-sil (Democratic Party, Jungnang 1), Urban Safety and Construction Committee Chair Seong Heum-je (Democratic Party, Eunpyeong 1), Urban Planning and Management Committee Chair Kim Hee-geol (Democratic Party, Yangcheon 4), Transportation Committee Chair Woo Hyung-chan (Democratic Party, Yangcheon 3), and Education Committee Chair Choi Ki-chan (Democratic Party, Geumcheon 2) were each elected.

Chairman Kim In-ho stated, "The reorganization of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council's second half leadership was completed today, and full-scale legislative activities have begun," adding, "All 110 members of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council will do their best together for the safety and happiness of the ten million Seoul citizens, as well as for the development of the council and local autonomy."

However, among the chairpersons elected on this day, Lee Hyun-chan and Seong Heum-je are from Eunpyeong District, Chae In-mook and Choi Ki-chan are from Geumcheon District, and Kim Hee-geol and Woo Hyung-chan are from Yangcheon District, leading to evaluations that the chairpersons are concentrated in specific regions, and there are strong voices criticizing Democratic Party floor leader Jo Sang-ho.