Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Says "A Special Law Must Be Enacted to Secure Authority Befitting a Special City"

Policy Forum Held at National Assembly for Enactment of Special Act to Support Special Cities

"I hope today's forum will serve as a catalyst for the enactment of the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities,' which clearly stipulates substantial authority befitting the status of special cities. Through this, I hope that local autonomy in the Republic of Korea will advance to the next level and that a true era of local governance will be realized."

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam, made these remarks on the 14th at the National Assembly Policy Forum held for the enactment of the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities.'

Changwon Special City Mayor Hong Nampyo attended the National Assembly policy forum held at the National Assembly.

This forum was jointly hosted by the Council of Mayors of Special Cities in Korea and the Korean Association for Local Government Studies, with 22 National Assembly members representing the four special cities (Suwon, Yongin, Goyang, Changwon) and Hwaseong City, including Kim Jongyang, Heo Seongmu, Choi Hyeongdu, Yoon Hanhong, and Lee Jonguk.

Additionally, the mayors of the four special cities and Hwaseong City, various provincial and city council members, officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and others attended to express consensus on the necessity of enacting the special law and to discuss substantial support measures for special cities, such as expanding legal status and authority.

The main presentations were delivered in the following order: ▲Securing Legal Status and Delegation of Duties for Special Cities (Choi Hwanyong, Korea Legislation Research Institute), ▲Strengthening Fiscal Special Provisions for Special Cities (Kim Heungjoo, Daejeon Sejong Research Institute), and ▲Research on Enactment Measures for the Special Act on Support for Special Cities (Jung Jihoon, National Association of Metropolitan Research Institutes), followed by a panel discussion.

The discussion was chaired by Park Kikwon, Professor at Sangji University, with panelists including Kim Chandong, Professor at Chungnam National University; Ra Hwimoon, Professor at Sungkyul University; Park Jaehee, Director at Korea Research Institute for Local Administration; Park Jinwoo, Research Fellow at Suwon Urban Policy Institute; Yeo Jungyeop, Director-General for Local Autonomy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; Lee Jasung, Director at Changwon Urban Policy Institute; Lee Hyangsu, Professor at Konkuk University; Jeon Seonghun, Research Fellow at Goyang Urban Policy Institute; and Choi Yeontae, Professor at Gyeongnam University.

In his presentation, Senior Research Fellow Choi Hwanyong stated, "In order to realize efficient and democratic local governance for the promotion of residents' welfare, it is important to secure the legal status of special cities as quasi-metropolitan local governments."

Principal Research Fellow Kim Heungjoo emphasized "the need to design a new fiscal and administrative system that can meet the unique administrative and fiscal demands of special cities." Jung Jihoon, Research Fellow, proposed the direction and legislative plan for the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities,' stressing "the realization of true local autonomy through the delegation of authority tailored to the administrative environment of each special city."

In the subsequent discussion, Lee Jasung, Head of the Socio-Cultural Research Division at Changwon Urban Policy Institute, emphasized, "It is necessary to review and add exception regulations for non-metropolitan special cities, as well as to examine and specify an efficient implementation system to ensure the applicability of special duties."

Accordingly, the four special cities and Hwaseong City plan to gather opinions from various experts and spare no effort to ensure the transfer of substantial authority and fiscal support through the special law.

Regarding the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's announcement of the legislative notice for the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities,' Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, "This is the first step in establishing an institutional foundation for supporting regional development in special cities," and requested, "I ask for empathy and support from all sectors for the enactment of a substantial special law."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's draft of the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities' will complete its 40-day legislative notice period starting from October 11, then undergo review by the Ministry of Government Legislation, and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly within the year.