'Local Autonomy 2.0' Grand Debate Held in Daejeon... Discussing Achievements in Local Autonomy Legislation and Fiscal Decentralization

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization held a "National Tour Grand Debate Commemorating the 4th Anniversary of the Moon Jae-in Government Inauguration and the 30th Anniversary of the Revival of Local Autonomy" on the 24th at the KT Daejeon Human Resources Development Center.

This debate is a regional forum held nationwide by the Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization to build public consensus and diagnose tasks for opening the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 era. Starting in Seoul in March, it continued with the Gyeongin and Honam regions in May, the Daegyeong region in June, and held the Chungcheong region debate in Daejeon.

The Chungcheong region debate, jointly conducted with the Korea Local Newspaper Association, was attended by Choi Sang-han, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization, Kim Jung-seok, Chairman of the Korea Local Newspaper Association, and regional experts from Chungcheong. They reviewed the legislative achievements and challenges of the Moon Jae-in government’s autonomy and decentralization policies and sought regional response measures to prepare for the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 era.

The debate was chaired by Ahn Seong-ho, President of the Korea Institute of Public Administration, under the theme "Leading the Success of the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 Era through Regional Balanced New Deal." Vice Chairman Choi Sang-han delivered a presentation titled "Legislative Achievements and Challenges of the Moon Jae-in Government’s Autonomy and Decentralization," diagnosing the current status of South Korea’s local autonomy system and discussing the meaning and direction of the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 era.

Professor Yoo Tae-hyun of the Department of Taxation at Namseoul University presented on "Achievements and Prospects of Fiscal Decentralization under the Moon Jae-in Government," proposing implementation tasks for the second phase of fiscal decentralization and future-oriented reforms of the local fiscal system.

Discussants included Professor Choi Jin-hyuk of the Department of Local Administration at Chungnam National University, Professor Lee Hyang-su of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention Convergence at Konkuk University, Mayor Hwang Myung-seon of Nonsan, Oh Byung-kwon, Director of Local Fiscal Policy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Jeon Hong-pyo, Deputy Chief of the Political Department at Chungcheong Today. They engaged in a heated discussion on various current issues and future directions to welcome the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 era.

Vice Chairman Choi Sang-han stated, "This debate was an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of local autonomy and confirm that the role and response of local governments will grow even more in the Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 era." He added, "The Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization will carefully review all the contents discussed today and make every effort to ensure that the autonomy and decentralization-related national tasks promised during the remaining year of the Moon Jae-in government are successfully completed."

The "National Tour Grand Debate Commemorating the 4th Anniversary of the Moon Jae-in Government Inauguration and the 30th Anniversary of the Revival of Local Autonomy" is scheduled to conclude its nationwide tour with the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region debate on July 8.