Chairman Jo Young-hoon of Seoul Jung-gu Council Elected as President of the National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairpersons

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jo Young-hoon, Chairman of the Jung-gu Council in Seoul (Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairmen's Association), was elected as the 8th term second half chairman at the meeting of the National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairmen held at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 16th.

With the attendance of chairmen representing 15 city, county, and district councils nationwide, Chairman Jo Young-hoon was honored to be unanimously endorsed with overwhelming support.

Chairman Jo Young-hoon is a four-term council member who has served as chairman of the Jung-gu Council in both the first and second halves of his terms. Having been elected as chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairmen's Association last July, he now enjoys the double honor of being elected chairman of the National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairmen.

Jo Young-hoon is the first chairman of the National Association of Chairmen to come from the Jung-gu Council in Seoul.

On the same day, Lee Jung-hoon, chairman of Samcheok City Council in Gangwon Province, was elected as senior vice chairman; Yoon Chang-geun, chairman of Seongnam City Council in Gyeonggi Province, and Lee Sam-su, chairman of Sacheon City Council in Gyeongsangnam Province, were elected as auditors.

The newly launched 8th term second half National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairmen will strengthen organic and cooperative legislative exchanges among councils nationwide and reinforce cooperation on common issues, accelerating the development of local decentralization and local autonomy.

Furthermore, Chairman Jo Young-hoon will lead the association as the second half chairman for the next two years, representing 226 basic councils and 2,926 basic council members nationwide.

Chairman Jo Young-hoon stated, “I deeply thank all those who have endorsed me as chairman among outstanding and capable fellow council members. The currently pending full revision of the Local Autonomy Act in the National Assembly is limited only to metropolitan councils. I will do my best during my term to ensure that the full revision applies to basic councils, which are the foundation of grassroots democracy, to realize true local autonomy and expand practical authority. I ask for the cooperation and support of the chairmen representing each city and province.”