Kim Hyun-gi, Chairman of the Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Chairpersons, Holds New Year Meeting with Heads of Four Major Local Councils

On the 6th, the four major local autonomy council heads held a New Year's meeting at Gyeongbuk Provincial Office

Discussed key issues including the agenda for the 3rd Central-Local Cooperation Meeting chaired by the President scheduled for the first quarter

Chairman Kim Hyun-gi: “Seoul is the capital and central, but is clearly local and will actively cooperate with local era policies”

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Hyun-gi, Chairman of the Korea Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Council Chairs (Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council), held a New Year's meeting of the four major local autonomy council heads at Gyeongbuk Provincial Office on the 6th and emphasized, “Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea and holds a central position, but from the perspective of local autonomy, it is clearly local and will actively cooperate with the central government's local era policies.”

Chairman Kim also proposed regular meetings for close cooperation among the four major local autonomy councils.

The New Year's meeting was attended by Lee Cheol-woo, Chairman of the Korea Council of Governors (Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do), Jo Jae-gu, Chairman of the Korea Council of Mayors, County Heads, and District Heads (Mayor of Nam-gu, Daegu), and Choi Bong-hwan, Chairman of the Korea Council of City, County, and District Council Chairs (Chairman of Geumjeong District Council, Busan).

At the 2nd Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at Ulsan City Hall last October, the four major local councils agreed on an amendment to the operation plan to form a ‘Central-Local Cooperation Meeting Local Support Group’ responsible for discovering and coordinating local agendas.

On this day, the representatives of the four councils agreed that it is important for the Local Support Group to discover agendas that enable a close cooperation system not only between central and local governments but also among local governments themselves.

They also discussed the main agenda and issues for the 3rd Central-Local Cooperation Meeting chaired by the President, scheduled for the first quarter of this year, and promised active support and cooperation among the organizations.

Kim Hyun-gi, Chairman of the Korea Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Council Chairs, said, “Balanced regional development and realization of local autonomy are essential tasks for all of us to coexist,” adding, “Local councils, as one of the two pillars of local autonomy, will do their best to realize community-based politics and achieve a virtuous cycle of local autonomy that meets residents' expectations.”