Seoul Metropolitan District Mayors' Council (Chairman Lee Dong-jin, Dobong District Mayor) Marks 30th Anniversary of Local Autonomy, Examines Authority and Roles Between Metropolitan and Basic Local Governments, and Establishes Foundation for Win-Win Cooperation Between Seoul City and Districts
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The “Discussion Forum on the Reestablishment of Administrative Authority for Win-Win Cooperation between Seoul City and Autonomous Districts,” hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors (Chairman: Dobong District Mayor Dong-jin Lee) and jointly organized by the National Association of Mayors, County Heads, and District Mayors, the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy, and the Korean Association for Public Administration, was held on the 23rd at 2 p.m. in the Taepyeong Hall of Seoul Citizens’ Hall.
At the forum, Chairman Dong-jin Lee of the Council, along with National Assembly members Young-kyo Seo, Young-bae Kim, and Hae-sik Lee, and Yeom Tae-young, Chairman of the Good Local Government Association (Mayor of Suwon), attended in person. Kim Soon-eun, Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy, Professor Soon-ae Park of Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration, and National Assembly member Sung-hwan Kim sent congratulatory messages via video.
The forum proceeded in three parts: ▲ Part 1 Opening Ceremony ▲ Part 2 Academic Presentations ▲ Part 3 Comprehensive Discussion. At the beginning of the opening ceremony in Part 1, Chairman Dong-jin Lee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors stated, “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the implementation of local autonomy and the meaningful year of the full revision of the Local Autonomy Act for the first time in 32 years since its complete amendment.”
He also said in his opening remarks, “Through this occasion, we hope to examine the powers and roles between metropolitan local governments and basic local governments, which have been insufficiently discussed, from both academic and practical perspectives, and to lay the foundation for win-win cooperation between Seoul City and autonomous districts.”
In Part 2 academic presentations, the first presentation titled “Issues and Policy Tasks in the Distribution of Administrative Affairs between Seoul City and Autonomous Districts” was delivered by Sang-beom Lee, a specialist from the National Association of Mayors, County Heads, and District Mayors. The second presentation titled “Issues and Policy Tasks in the Financial Relations between Seoul City and Autonomous Districts” was given by Won-hee Lee, a professor at Korea National University of Transportation.
During the academic presentations in Part 2, based on actual administrative cases and issues in the distribution of administrative affairs, ways to reestablish the authority for the distribution of administrative affairs between Seoul City and autonomous districts were examined. Additionally, desirable development directions and alternatives regarding the dynamics of administrative affairs distribution according to financial relations were proposed.
Part 3, chaired by Chairman Dong-jin Lee, featured a comprehensive panel discussion under the theme “A Win-Win Cooperation Model between Metropolitan and Basic Local Governments Starts in Seoul.”
In the comprehensive discussion, which focused on the two keywords “administrative affairs distribution” and “financial relations,” panelists including Professor Soon-chang Soon of Konkuk University’s Department of Public Administration, Director Young-hoon Ahn of Hansei University’s Public Policy Future Research Institute, and Research Fellow Hong-hwan Kim of the Korea Local Tax Research Institute participated in a lively debate.
Participants in the discussion offered suggestions to reestablish a rational administrative service model between Seoul Special City and its autonomous districts, considering their unique characteristics.
Given the importance of the positions and roles of autonomous districts highlighted by COVID-19, opinions were presented that Seoul City should premise common consultation and consent when distributing administrative affairs or functions to autonomous districts.
The forum, conducted via non-face-to-face YouTube live streaming, was broadcast in real time not only on the main broadcaster OhmyTV but also on autonomous district YouTube channels such as Dobong TV and Yangcheon TV. This allowed broad viewership and interactive communication, with panelists responding to questions submitted via comments, drawing attention as a two-way communication forum.
The Council plans to compile the opinions raised at the forum regarding “the distribution of administrative authority and financial allocation between Seoul City and autonomous districts” and send a public questionnaire to candidates running in the Seoul mayoral by-election to receive their responses. After the inauguration of the new Seoul mayor, the Council intends to lead “Autonomous Decentralization Seoul” by presenting a pioneering administrative model suited to the era of Local Autonomy 2.0.
Dobong District Mayor Dong-jin Lee concluded the discussion by saying, “The distribution of administrative affairs is a result, so diagnosing and understanding the causes behind this phenomenon is necessary to untangle the complexities between the city and districts.” He added, “Reestablishing the city-district relationship as a cooperative partnership and ensuring that the discourses from today are applied in practical administrative fields is our remaining task.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
