[The Era of Administrative Reorganization] (Part 2) How Resident Referendums and Legislation Proceed... Challenges Beyond Challenges Until System Reform

Local Government Reorganization Plan Established... Resident Referendum and Legislation
Even with Resident Consent, Legislation Failure Means 'All for Nothing'
Consideration of 'Win-Win' Effects Needed Even After Procedure Completion

Editor's NoteAs the 30th anniversary of elected local autonomy approaches, movements to reform the outdated administrative system are increasing across the country. While some remain at the level of mere 'mentions' by local government heads, others have presented concrete timelines backed by government support. Amid the worsening population crisis, the majority agree on the necessity of administrative system reform. However, there are many hurdles to overcome before completion, such as incorporating residents' opinions and enacting laws. At a time when an administrative system suited for future generations in a new administrative environment is required, we examine the current status of local governments laying the groundwork for reform and the path ahead.

Although discussions on administrative system reform are pouring in from various places, it remains uncertain how many will actually succeed in integration or separation. This is because numerous interests must be coordinated at each stage leading to system reform, and costs may also arise. When a reform plan is established at the local government level, it must go through local council approval or a residents' referendum, followed by legislation in the National Assembly, with challenges accumulating at each stage for local governments.

How Much Should Residents' Opinions Be Reflected?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

How to collect and reflect residents' opinions in administrative system reform is always a hot topic. This is because reform without residents' consent can provoke regional division and conflict in the future. For this reason, local governments conduct public opinion surveys before discussing system reforms such as integration. In the past, cases where administrative system reform was pursued but failed often had poor survey results as a background. In the case of Sacheon and Jinju in Gyeongnam, public opinion surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2012 during attempts at administrative integration, but the negative responses from Sacheon residents led to the failure. Last year, a public opinion survey on administrative integration between Busan and Gyeongnam showed opposition at 45.6%, higher than support at 35.6%, which slowed down the progress.

Since changes in administrative districts can greatly affect residents' lives, there is also an opinion that residents' referendums should be mandatory beyond public opinion surveys. According to the Local Autonomy Act, when a local government is abolished, established, or merged, it must go through either local council approval or a residents' referendum. In other words, a referendum is not mandatory. Ha Hye-young, team leader of the Legislative Research Office's Administration and Safety Team, said in the report "Reemergence of Local Administrative System Reform Discussions," "The ideal method is to conduct a residents' referendum to confirm opinions during administrative system reform, but it may be difficult to realize in metropolitan units due to time and cost. Even if local council approval is obtained, there needs to be discussion on establishing reasonable procedures to collect residents' opinions."

There have also been cases where rapid integration without a residents' referendum caused side effects such as resident conflicts. The integration of Masan, Changwon, and Jinhae was completed in July 2010, less than a year after former President Lee Myung-bak mentioned administrative system reform in his Liberation Day speech in 2009. No residents' referendum was held. Professor Ha Hye-su of the Department of Public Administration at Kyungpook National University said, "The Changwon integration ended with local council approval instead of a residents' referendum, so there was a lack of systematic discussion. As a result, the integration centered on Changwon, and residents of Masan and Jinhae have continued to express dissatisfaction."

Regarding this, a Ministry of the Interior and Safety official explained, "The result of a residents' referendum does not determine (whether integration proceeds). It serves as a reference case for legal amendments. Residents in some areas want a referendum, while others do not."

Will Administrative Reform-Related Laws Be Discussed in the 22nd National Assembly?

Even if residents respond positively, administrative system reform will fall through if the 'bill does not pass.' For this reason, related bills on administrative system reform are being actively proposed in the 22nd National Assembly, which is two months into its session. According to the National Assembly's bill information system as of the 11th, three bills related to the separation of Gyeonggi Bukdo and amendments to establish basic local governments in Jeju have been proposed. Daegu-Gyeongbuk and Gimpo City are pushing for special legislation by the end of this year.

In the previous National Assembly, related laws were not properly discussed in standing committees. Bills related to Gyeonggi Bukdo proposed in the 21st National Assembly were submitted to subcommittees but never deeply discussed and were discarded upon expiration of the term. The bill including Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul faced the same fate.

Given that administrative system reform has gained momentum across the government, it is expected that related bills will be actively reviewed in the 22nd National Assembly. A staff member from the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee said, "Last year, many bills were submitted by local governments toward the end of the session, so there was insufficient time for discussion. The 21st National Assembly showed little interest in administrative system reform, but now several cities and provinces are driving it forward. Once the first subcommittee for bills is fully formed, these key bills will be deliberated."

Reform Is Not the End

Experts say that even if the procedural reform is completed, achieving practical goals such as strengthening local autonomy capabilities, balanced development, and enhancing regional competitiveness is more important. Professor Ha said, "In past administrative integration cases, there was insufficient consideration of strengthening local autonomy capabilities through decentralization. As a result, even after integration, people say 'nothing has greatly improved.'"

Especially in administrative integration, ways to coexist without regional conflicts must be considered. Professor Ha said, "Where the government office is located determines whether that area will continue to develop. It is important to consider financial investments such as government offices and regional public facilities to favor relatively weaker areas." This was reflected in the integration case of Cheongju and Cheongwon. Considering that Cheongwon was relatively less developed, the two areas prepared a 'co-prosperity development plan' upon integration. The plan includes ▲ electing a council chairman from Cheongwon for the first 12 years and a vice-chairman from Cheongwon for the latter half ▲ establishing two new district offices in Cheongwon ▲ unifying city bus fares. The Cheongwon-Cheongju Co-prosperity Development Committee is also monitoring and managing the implementation status.

However, facing a population crisis, some argue that achieving integration itself as a matter of 'survival' should be a major goal. Professor Choi Ho-taek of the Department of Public Administration at Paichai University explained, "Currently, administrative integration discussions are proceeding with a sense of crisis that unless a certain scale of economy is achieved, everything will be drawn into the metropolitan area and local areas will disappear. Although side effects may occur after integration, it is better than disappearing due to lack of integration. It seems to be a discussion with more benefits than losses."