April 19?May 3: 15-Day 323rd Extraordinary Session Held, 131 Submitted Agendas Reviewed and Resolved
Accurately Reflecting Sovereign Will Expressed in General Election, Urging Active Review of City Administration and Education Affairs... Following ‘Climate Companion Card,’ ‘Seoul Run,’ and ‘Seonam-gwon & Gangbuk-gwon Grand Renovation Project’ Raise Vision and Hope for Citizens... Seoul City Faces Serious Shortage in This Year’s Supplementary Budget Resources; Active Consideration Needed for Additional Supplementary Budget for Projects Expected to Experience Execution Delays
2024 1st Newborn Purchase Lease: Low Applications from Newborn Households Reflect Desired Recipients
The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim Hyun-gi) will hold the 323rd extraordinary session for 15 days from April 19 to May 3, 2024.
During this extraordinary session, a total of 131 agenda items will be reviewed and resolved.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Kim Hyun-gi stated, “Sixty-four years ago today was the day of the April 19 Revolution, when the will of the people for freedom and democracy was expressed,” adding, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council will always be a council that listens to the people's will and serves the livelihood of the citizens.”
In this regard, he urged, “We must accurately gauge the will of the sovereign expressed in the recent National Assembly general election,” and requested the executive agencies to actively review issues related to city administration and educational administration that arose during the election process.
In particular, Chairman Kim quoted Max Weber’s words defining politics as ‘the art of resignation,’ emphasizing that if the vivid field experience of council members and the expertise of the executive agencies are combined, it will be highly effective in reflecting the will of the people.
Chairman Kim cited the ‘Climate Companion Card,’ followed by ‘Seoul Run’ and the ‘Vision Announcement for the Great Renovation of the Southwestern and Gangbuk Areas’ as excellent policies reflecting the people's will that raise vision and hope among citizens.
Regarding Seoul Run, he conveyed a mentor university student's impression that “what students needed was not lectures by star instructors but pacemakers who support and encourage them,” confirming that it provides not just ‘knowledge transfer’ but ‘hope.’
He then stated, “The council will spare no legislative or financial support to ensure that policies for regional development and the development of the Seoul community proceed smoothly.”
He also noted, “The global surplus fund, which is the basic resource for the supplementary budget, has been significantly reduced compared to previous years,” and said, “Although it is customary not to reduce the supplementary budget in the first supplementary budget of the fiscal year, this is a time that requires a change in thinking. Please boldly streamline projects that have not yet started execution and those expected to have little effect.”
Chairman Kim also demanded sophistication in detailed projects aimed at increasing the birth rate. For example, regarding the ‘2024 1st Newborn Purchase Rental’ conducted by the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation, he pointed out that the low number of applications from newborn households indicates that the policy did not properly address what the target beneficiaries wanted.
Results from the earlier newborn purchase rental showed that support for newborn households accounted for only 24% of the total. This was analyzed to be due to the supply of non-apartment housing such as multi-family and row houses with relatively low preference and narrow areas, as well as location bias toward certain regions.
Chairman Kim regarded the ‘Seoul Student Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic Test,’ conducted last year with active support from the Seoul Metropolitan Council, as a basic obligation that public education must provide, urging the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to actively strive for participation from more than 50% of schools across Seoul, not just 300 schools this year.
He also requested meticulous preparation from the city and the education office regarding the integrated childcare system to be implemented from next year. Chairman Kim said, “Given the current level of preparation, there are serious concerns about whether the leveling up of education and care standards will be achieved, whether the collaboration system between the city and the education office will function well, whether social consensus on teacher training for the integrated childcare model is possible, and whether related budget procurement will be properly secured.”
Finally, Chairman Kim emphasized, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council, aiming to be ‘into the field, close to the citizens,’ will thoroughly review the submitted agenda based on the welfare improvement of all citizens and the enhancement of community sustainability,” and pledged, “We will do our best to make this an earnest extraordinary session by the citizens, of the citizens, and for the citizens.”
This extraordinary session will begin with an opening ceremony on April 19, followed by questions regarding Seoul city administration and educational administration on April 22. From April 23 to 25 and April 29 to May 2, the standing committees will review agenda items related to their respective offices, headquarters, and bureaus over seven days. Subsequently, plenary sessions will be held twice on April 26 and May 3 to handle the various submitted agenda items.
Opening Remarks
- A Council Serving the People's Will and Livelihood -
Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council
Opening Remarks for the 323rd Session
(A Council Serving the People's Will and Livelihood)
- April 19, 2024 -
Respected citizens of Seoul!
Esteemed fellow council members!
Officials present, including the Mayor and Superintendent of Education!
Half of the second quarter of April has already passed.
Today is Gogu, the time when the full-scale farming season begins.
It is a time for work.
Seoul city administration and educational administration must also be busy at this time.
Above all, we must do our best at every moment so that citizens can experience policies timely and accurately.
Sixty-four years ago today was the day of the April 19 Revolution.
It was the day when the will of the people for freedom and democracy was expressed.
In front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council main building,
a marker stone stands indicating ‘The Center of the April 19 Revolution.’
It records that ‘In March and April 1960, tens of thousands of students protested against dictatorship and rigged elections, leading to the April 19 Revolution.’
There is a saying, ‘Water can carry a boat; it can also overturn it (水能載舟 亦能覆舟).’
I hope council members deeply cherish this wise saying.
The 22nd National Assembly general election has concluded.
We must accurately gauge the will of the sovereign expressed through the election.
Regarding city administration and educational administration matters,
we must begin a thorough review of feasibility and future plans.
We must move away from a passive stance, conduct detailed reviews, and respond proactively.
This must be premised on sufficient discussion with council members.
Council members have keenly felt, earnestly and desperately listened to the voices from the field,
and engraved them in their hearts.
Max Weber defined politics as ‘the art of resignation.’
Politics means accomplishing what must be done without fail, but
also quickly resigning from what should not be done ? that is the art.
If the vivid field experience of council members and the expertise of the executive agencies are combined,
it will be highly effective in reflecting the people's will.
Above all, swift judgment and decisions from the Mayor and Superintendent of Education are required.
Following the Climate Companion Card, policies with outstanding effectiveness are being recognized.
‘Seoul Run,’ aimed at restoring the educational ladder, has proven its policy achievements with high university acceptance rates and satisfaction exceeding expectations.
A mentor university student expressed, “What students needed was not lectures by star instructors but pacemakers who support and encourage them.”
It was confirmed that Seoul Run provides not just ‘knowledge transfer’ but ‘hope.’
The Great Renovation policies for the Southwestern and Gangbuk areas have raised vision and hope among regions and citizens who had felt relatively neglected.
These policies represent balanced development in Seoul.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s Neulbom School policy has also been greatly expanded and extended.
This is a desirable development.
On the other hand, the land transaction permit system and designation of speculative overheating zones currently implemented in the Southeastern area require detailed review by district.
The council will spare no legislative or financial support to ensure that policies for regional development and the development of the Seoul community proceed smoothly.
The Seoul City Hall and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education are currently conducting preliminary procedures for preparing the first supplementary budget for fiscal year 2024.
The global surplus fund, the basic resource for the supplementary budget, has been significantly reduced compared to previous years.
The overall national finances are also showing warning signs.
National debt has reached 1,126 trillion won, surpassing 50% of GDP for the first time in history.
Debt now breeds more debt, economic vitality is declining, and tax revenue conditions are expected to enter a vicious cycle.
It has been customary not to reduce the supplementary budget in the first supplementary budget of the fiscal year.
A change in thinking is required.
Projects in the main budget that have not yet started execution,
and projects expected to be sluggish or ineffective, must be boldly streamlined.
Attempting such a reduction in the supplementary budget requires courage.
We request active judgment from the Mayor and Superintendent of Education.
In a press briefing last January, I proposed a Seoul-type model to overcome low birth rates. Many citizens sympathized.
The Seoul Metropolitan Council’s proposal to abolish income criteria in birth-related measures was also announced as a pledge during the general election. This is a significant change.
However, even if the overall direction is set,
if there are gaps in the detailed areas that citizens feel during the implementation of individual projects, it will be difficult to achieve policy effects.
The Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation recently received applications for the ‘2024 1st Newborn Purchase Rental,’ but applications from young couples with children were very low.
The project was mainly conducted with multi-family and row houses, which are relatively less preferred by newlyweds, and the project areas were concentrated, which was pointed out as the cause.
For policies involving huge financial resources to succeed in reversing the birth rate, sophistication in specific detailed projects is required. This must be kept in mind.
The importance of basic academic skills, a fundamental human right, cannot be overemphasized. Since taking office, the strongest policy demand I have made to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has been to guarantee our children’s basic academic skills.
Last year, for the first time, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education conducted a diagnostic test on Seoul students’ literacy and numeracy, and this year, the composition of the test committee is underway.
However, the number of schools scheduled to implement the basic academic skills test is about 300.
This is very insufficient, not even half of all schools in Seoul.
Basic literacy and numeracy are lifelong assets for children.
It is a basic obligation that public education must provide.
We request the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to focus on securing budgets in cooperation with schools so that at least 50% of Seoul schools can participate in this year’s test.
The council will also actively review this during the supplementary budget deliberation process.
From July, the administration of daycare centers will be transferred from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the Ministry of Education,
and from next year, daycare centers and kindergartens will be integrated.
However, given the current level of preparation, there are many concerns.
Will the leveling up of education and care standards be achieved?
Will the collaboration system between Seoul City and the Office of Education function well?
Is social consensus on teacher training for the integrated childcare model possible? Will related budget procurement be properly secured? These are major concerns.
There are 220,000 young children attending daycare centers and kindergartens in Seoul, with 56,000 staff members.
To prevent collective complaints such as grievances and criticisms from caregivers,
the city and the Office of Education must prepare and approach this carefully.
Respected citizens,
This extraordinary session will discuss ordinances and proposals that are of interest to citizens.
There are also ordinances directly proposed by tens of thousands of citizens through resident initiatives.
Our council, aiming to be ‘into the field, close to the citizens,’
must thoroughly review these based on the welfare improvement of all citizens and the enhancement of community sustainability.
Due to high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, the difficulties faced by the common people and businesses are severe.
The volatile situation in the Middle East could trigger serious high oil prices, dealing a heavy blow to our economy.
First, second, and third priority is the livelihood of the people.
Only when individuals stand firm can Seoul stand firm.
Our council will do its utmost to care for the livelihood of the people.
We will do our best to make the 323rd extraordinary session a substantive session by the citizens, of the citizens, and for the citizens. Thank you.
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