Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Council of Provincial Councils, Proposes Enactment of Local Council Act

Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Korea Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Council Chairpersons, Proposes 'Enactment of the Local Council Act' to the President at the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting

Attended the ‘3rd Central-Local Cooperation Meeting’ held on the 10th at Jeonbuk Provincial Office (Jeonju, Jeonbuk) - Chairman Kim stated, “Local councils are one of the two wheels of the cart opening the local era... Enactment of the ‘Local Council Act’ is urgently needed to strengthen roles and functions” - Formation of a ‘Local Council Act Enactment Support TF’ led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety with participation from related ministries and private experts also proposed

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Korea Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Council Chairpersons (Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council), attended the ‘3rd Central-Local Cooperation Meeting’ held at Jeonbuk Provincial Office on the 10th and proposed the ‘Enactment of the Local Council Act’ to President Yoon Suk-yeol.□

Chairman Kim also proposed the formation of a ‘Local Council Act Enactment Support TF’ led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to achieve this.□

The Central-Local Cooperation Meeting is a conference based on the Act on the Composition and Operation of the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting, where heads of central administrative agencies, 17 metropolitan and provincial governors, and representatives of the four major local councils gather to discuss important national policies related to local autonomy and balanced development.

Since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the meeting was held in Ulsan last October and, following the promise to hold it in various regions, this time it was held in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do.□

In his greeting, Chairman Kim Hyun-ki said, “The central and local governments are a joint destiny in national governance that must row together in the same boat, so I find it meaningful that meetings to discuss cooperation measures for the development of local autonomy are held regularly,” and added, “Local councils will do their best to realize the local era under the Yoon Suk-yeol government, achieve the four major national reforms, and promote national unity.”

Chairman Kim stated, “Local councils are one of the two wheels of the cart opening the local era together with the executive agencies, and the enactment of the Local Council Act is urgently needed to expand their roles and functions.” He also proposed the formation of a ‘Local Council Act Enactment Support TF’ led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, with broad participation from related ministries and private experts, considering the government’s practical support, field-based institutional innovation, and the need for close cooperation.□

Meanwhile, the agenda items approved at the meeting included ▲the plan to amend the enforcement decree of the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting Act and ▲improvement measures for the Local Extinction Response Fund, and the reported items included ▲the plan to promote the decentralization of central authority and ▲the plan to expand local government autonomy in organizational rights, among four agenda items reviewed.

In particular, the ‘Plan to Expand Local Government Autonomy in Organizational Rights’ proposed by the four major local councils included contents such as expanding autonomy in establishing and operating local government administrative organizations, liberalizing the number of deputy heads, and strengthening the authority of local councils.□

Going forward, a consultative body will be formed with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, metropolitan and provincial (organizational departments), and the four major local councils to start in-depth discussions between central and local governments for expanding autonomy in organizational rights.

After comprehensive reviews on overall organizational management and accountability, a plan to expand organizational rights will be prepared and submitted as an agenda item for approval at the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting in the second half of the year.□

Additionally, it was decided to consider boldly transferring 57 tasks in six areas, including strengthening local government participation in the scale of foreign workforce introduction, which is a central government authority, to local governments.□ Attending the meeting were President Yoon Suk-yeol (Chairman), Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (Co-Chairman), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyun, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Moon-gyu, Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee Woo Dong-gi, Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-gyu, 1st Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance Bang Ki-sun, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety Han Chang-seop, 1st Vice Minister of Industry Jang Young-jin, and 1st Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Lee Won-jae.□

Representing local governments were Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Korea Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Council Chairpersons (Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council), Lee Cheol-woo, Chairman of the National Governors Association (Governor of Gyeongbuk, Co-Chairman), and Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, along with 17 metropolitan and provincial governors, Jo Jae-gu, Chairman of the Korea Association of Mayors, Governors and District Heads (Mayor of Nam-gu, Daegu), and Choi Bong-hwan, Chairman of the Korea Association of City, County and District Council Chairpersons (Chairman of Geumjeong District Council, Busan) attended.