Gyeongnam Provincial Council Concludes 2023 Legislative Schedule … Chairman Kim Jin-bu "A Year Prioritizing Residents' Happiness"

The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council concluded its 2023 legislative schedule with the 5th plenary session of the 409th regular meeting.

The council held sessions for a total of 116 days, including two regular meetings and seven extraordinary meetings, starting with the temporary session in January.

On the 14th, the final plenary session of the year was held, during which 30 agenda items were processed, including the council’s personnel hearing ordinance, amendments to the Gyeongnam Provincial Government and Gyeongnam Office of Education budget proposals, and the Gyeongnam provincial organizational restructuring plan.

Gyeongnam Provincial Council.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

On this day, the council approved the original draft of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council Personnel Hearing Ordinance, which includes the heads of local public corporations of Gyeongnam Province and heads of public institutions with a staff of 100 or more or a budget of 30 billion KRW or more among Gyeongnam Province’s invested and funded institutions as subjects of personnel hearings.

With the passage of the ordinance, in addition to the six institutions previously subject to personnel hearings ? ▲Gyeongnam Development Corporation ▲Gyeongnam Research Institute ▲Gyeongnam Technopark ▲Gyeongnam Robot Land Foundation ▲Gyeongnam Credit Guarantee Foundation ▲Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Promotion Agency ? the heads of ▲Gyeongnam Investment & Economic Promotion Agency and ▲Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation were added, making a total of eight institutions required to undergo personnel hearing procedures.

The 2024 budget of 12.057 trillion KRW submitted by Gyeongnam Province was approved after the Budget and Accounts Special Committee cut about 110 million KRW, and the Gyeongnam Office of Education’s 2024 budget proposal was finalized with an amendment reducing 13.8 billion KRW from the original 7.0969 trillion KRW.

The 2023 Gyeongnam Provincial Council closing ceremony was held.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

After the regular meeting, the council held a closing reception in the lobby.

At the closing reception, Chairman Kim Jin-bu said, “I express my gratitude to my fellow council members who passionately engaged in legislative activities faithfully representing the will of the residents, as well as to the governor, superintendent of education, and all public officials who worked together through cooperation and communication.”

He added, “This year, Gyeongnam Province carried out legislative activities visiting the field to prioritize residents’ happiness, held various forums and meetings, and based on this year’s achievements and experiences, I promise to continue working together in the field of residents’ lives next year.”

Governor Park Wan-su said, “I believe this year was the inaugural year that started a vibrant Gyeongnam thanks to the efforts of the council members,” and added, “Next year, I will continue to support legislative activities from the executive branch for the residents and work hard to make it a happy year for all 3.3 million residents.”

Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon said, “The chairman and all council members worked very hard throughout the year,” and wished, “I hope 2024 will be a harmonious and friendly year.”