Seoul Metropolitan Council and Seoul City’s ‘Generous Cooperation’... Presenting a 30-Year 'Local Autonomy Milestone'

Since Mayor Oh Se-hoon's Inauguration, Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) Receives Praise for 'Bold Cooperative Decision' Rewriting 30 Years of Local Autonomy History

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (left) visited Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, on the morning of his first day at work after being elected to exchange greetings and request cooperation.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The mature cooperation between the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government is being recognized as setting a new milestone leading the 30-year era of local autonomy.

Ordinary Seoul citizens expressed concerns that with People Power Party’s Mayor Oh Se-hoon winning the April 7 by-election, a smooth relationship with the Seoul Metropolitan Council, dominated by the Democratic Party of Korea, would be difficult to maintain.

However, on the morning of the 8th, when Mayor Oh Se-hoon first reported to work, Chairman Kim In-ho showed a “bold decision” emphasizing “cooperation” during their first face-to-face meeting.

Chairman Kim stated that this decision demonstrates that the Seoul Metropolitan Council is effectively fulfilling its fundamental roles of “checking” and “balancing.”

After about nine months of administrative vacuum, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is rapidly recovering, and active cooperation between the city and the council is essential for the city to be reborn in a way that citizens desire. The role of the council is becoming more important than ever.

Citizens’ interest in the council is also increasing. Contrary to concerns that the Seoul Metropolitan Council would hinder the city’s administration, the council has excluded personal opinions, focused on administration and citizens, performed its checking function, and played a sound role.

It is expected to enhance its status by providing citizens with balanced perspectives and information in the future.

◆ Seoul Metropolitan Council dominated by the Democratic Party of Korea... Bipartisan cooperation stands out as if no conflict ever existed

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Council are showing cooperative attitudes in various ways. This is well reflected in the two face-to-face meetings between Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Chairman Kim In-ho so far, as well as in press releases from the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

◇ Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits Seoul Metropolitan Council (April 8)

On his first day at work after being elected, Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the council in the morning and greeted Chairman Kim In-ho. At this meeting, Chairman Kim emphasized the importance of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and cooperation.

Mayor Oh said, “This time, the mayor’s party is different from the majority party in the council, and since my party is a minority party, it will be difficult to proceed smoothly without the council’s full support. Many citizens are probably watching with concern about this. In that sense, I sincerely ask for great help and guidance. Please assist to ensure smooth progress. I will serve you well,” bowing his head. He added, “Because the parties are different, philosophies differ, and discussions will be necessary, but if we set citizen interests, benefits, and happiness as the standard, communication will work well. I will work hard,” bowing again.

In response, Chairman Kim said, “It is said that after Rome won a war, it did not build walls but made roads. I hope the mayor will open the path of communication well and that we will cooperate and collaborate thinking only of the ten million citizens of Seoul.”

◇ Seoul Metropolitan Council Democratic Party of Korea Press Release (April 8)

The Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council will fulfill its duties for the happiness, safety, and livelihood stability of Seoul citizens together with the mayor. While maintaining the council’s fundamental stance of checking and monitoring the executive branch, it will avoid partisan confrontations and actively cooperate where necessary for Seoul’s future, making every effort for rapid administrative stabilization.

They urged for a partnership based on communication and cooperation with the council.

◇ Council Members’ General Meeting (April 13)

The Seoul Metropolitan Council expressed its intention to focus on citizens instead of futile political strife. At the Democratic Party of Korea’s general meeting held on the 13th, the issue of whether to proceed with an administrative investigation into Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s Naegok-dong was a major agenda item but was decided to be temporarily postponed.

This showed the will to focus on steps for Seoul citizens rather than political conflict.

Administrative questions were also postponed to the June regular session, considering that Mayor Oh had just taken office. This was a considerate decision by the council for sufficient understanding of administrative affairs and cooperation.

Especially, the Democratic Party members present agreed that they should restrain from parts that could be seen as political strife, reflecting the citizens’ will expressed in the election, and prioritize rapid administrative stabilization.

This reflects the mature attitude of the Democratic Party Seoul council members. Representative member Cho Sang-ho of the Democratic Party said, “Today’s decision expresses the will to produce concrete results through communication and cooperation, not political strife, and to show a new image to Seoul citizens. The Democratic Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council will continue to look only at citizens and do its best to overcome COVID-19 and stabilize livelihoods.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Kim In-ho are posing for a commemorative photo at the mutual cooperation business agreement ceremony held on the afternoon of the 19th at the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

◇ People Power Party ‘Welcomes’ (April 13)

In response to the Democratic Party’s general meeting results, the People Power Party also issued a press release expressing welcome and showed a cooperative attitude.

The People Power Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council stated it would do its best to serve as a bridge to ensure bipartisan cooperation for Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s successful administration of Seoul.

In that sense, they deeply sympathized with the Democratic Party’s magnanimous decision to derive administrative achievements through communication and cooperation, and declared that People Power Party members would actively communicate and cooperate with the Democratic Party.

They also reaffirmed that they would not neglect the council’s duty of monitoring and checking to ensure Mayor Oh’s successful administration and would do their best as a bridge for bipartisan cooperation toward the ten million citizens of Seoul.

◇ Seoul Metropolitan Government Current Issues Briefing (April 14)

The briefing on current issues of Seoul administration for the chairman, leadership group, representative members, and standing committee chairs was a place to pledge mutual communication and cooperation for livelihood recovery.

Chairman Kim In-ho said, “The council made a bold decision regarding this legislative schedule and the issues surrounding the mayor. Since the mayor had experienced conflicts with the council leading to his resignation 10 years ago, I hope he will now show an attitude of communication, and the council will cooperate whenever it is a policy for citizens.”

Mayor Oh Se-hoon responded, “There are concerns about conflicts between the executive and the council, but local government administration is about daily life and different from central politics. If we unite focusing on citizen happiness and inconvenience resolution, we can show ‘new hope’ to citizens. I will humble myself, listen carefully, and seek cooperation.”

The council leadership and standing committee chairs present conveyed to the executive side that “a cautious approach is needed for rapid diagnostic kits to avoid discord with the central government. Let’s unite and communicate to revive livelihoods.”

◇ MBN Network Talk (April 16)

Chairman Kim In-ho said about newly appointed Mayor Oh Se-hoon, “If it is for the ten million citizens, we will cooperate beyond party lines, and we will properly perform the council’s role and function to prevent administration from becoming an election campaign.”

◆ Faithful performance of the council’s fundamental roles of checking and criticism

◇ Gwanghwamun Square Restructuring Project

Mayor Oh’s instruction to “collect citizens’ opinions” and reconsider the Gwanghwamun Square restructuring project is expected to lead to future disputes. The council’s position is that the project should neither be suspended nor overturned because construction has already progressed, and overturning it could cause confusion.

Chairman Kim In-ho expressed his position in two radio interviews. On April 9, in MBC’s “Kim Jong-bae’s Focus,” he said, “The mayor cannot arbitrarily stop this. Council approval is required. This was decided after much deliberation at the council. A lot of budget has already been spent. Stopping now would be a waste of taxpayers’ money. Also, this project was implemented after numerous public hearings and citizen notifications. Stopping it now would only cause confusion.”

He conveyed the same stance in the April 14 KBS1 “Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs” radio interview.

He emphasized that many public hearings and opinion-gathering processes had already been conducted and that the mayor’s reconsideration order ignores these processes.

Chairman Kim added, “This project is a matching project funded by national and city budgets. It has been promoted since 2019, before COVID-19. This year, 25 billion won out of 68 billion won has been spent. Due to the controversy, the mayor checked, and restoring the original state would cost over 15 billion won. Returning to square one would cause great confusion.”

There were countless public hearings, 60 on-site communications, large debates, expert discussions, and citizen open forums with over 12,000 participants.

◇ Real Estate-Related Regulations (35-floor limit, Floor Area Ratio increase)

Regarding real estate, there is a position that opinion coordination between City Hall and the council is necessary. Chairman Kim said in MBC’s “Kim Jong-bae’s Focus” radio interview, “There have been restrictions for various reasons so far. If many citizens want it, we should discuss and proceed with City Hall. The council does not mean to oppose just because it is the majority party.”

The same applies to the activation of private redevelopment and reconstruction.

In the KBS1 “Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs” radio interview, Chairman Kim said, “Lifting the 35-floor limit is a mayor’s decision, but according to the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Land Planning Act, the council’s opinion must be heard. Therefore, we should cooperate well in that process. Also, real estate policies should be approached cautiously.”

According to Seoul city ordinances, the current floor area ratio is limited to 250%. To raise it to 300% as planned by Mayor Oh, ordinance revision is necessary, requiring the council’s cooperation.

◇ Spokespersons Choi Seon and Han Ki-young Congratulate Newly Elected Mayor (April 8)

Along with congratulating Mayor Oh’s election, they expressed expectations for the mayor’s wisdom and dedication toward the daily recovery of 10 million citizens and overcoming the regional economic crisis amid the ongoing COVID-19 threat.

Spokespersons Choi and Han urged cooperation with the council to prepare citizen safety and livelihood measures.

Spokesperson Choi said, “Above all, this year, we expect to complete vaccination without delay and communicate closely with the council to revive the neighborhood economy through various measures. The Seoul Metropolitan Council will also do its best to cooperate and assist with a mindset focused solely on citizens during the COVID-19 era, hoping for mature politics of ‘seeking common ground while preserving differences (Gudongjon-i).’” He added, “While expecting new changes in administration, large-scale organizational restructuring may shake ongoing projects or reduce organizational stability. We trust Mayor Oh to sustainably lead key projects such as welfare, care, urban regeneration, and job creation promoted over the past 10 years in Seoul, and the council will fulfill its monitoring and checking role to ensure projects with the philosophy of ‘citizen happiness’ are not neglected just because they were initiated by the previous mayor.”

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Major Timeline of the Seoul Metropolitan Council after the April 7 Seoul Mayoral By-election

○ Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits Seoul Metropolitan Council (April 8)

○ Spokespersons Choi Seon and Han Ki-young Congratulate Newly Elected Mayor Press Release (April 8)

○ Seoul Metropolitan Council Democratic Party of Korea Press Release (April 8)

○ Chairman Kim In-ho MBC ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ Radio Interview (April 9)

○ Council Members’ General Meeting (April 13)

○ People Power Party Press Release (April 13)

○ Chairman Kim In-ho KBS1 ‘Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs’ Radio Interview (April 14)

○ Seoul Metropolitan Government Current Issues Briefing (April 14)

○ Chairman Kim In-ho MBN Network Talk (April 16)