Choi Hojung, Seoul City Council Chair, Proposes 'Local Council Act Enactment' to National Assembly Speaker

Request for "One Policy Support Officer per City Council Member"

Choi Ho-jeong, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, met with Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, to propose the enactment of the Local Council Act and the expansion of one policy support officer per city council member.

According to the Metropolitan Council on the 24th, Chairperson Choi made this request at a luncheon meeting held the previous day at the National Assembly between the Korea Council of Chairpersons of City and Provincial Councils and the Speaker of the National Assembly. The meeting was attended by Ahn Seong-min, Chairperson of the Korea Council of Chairpersons of City and Provincial Councils (Chairperson of the Busan Metropolitan Council), and nine chairpersons of metropolitan councils from Daejeon, Gwangju, Chungbuk, Jeonnam, Sejong, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and others.

Chairperson Choi Ho-jeong of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (right) is delivering a proposal to Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Council

Chairperson Choi told Speaker Woo, "To properly fulfill the role of local councils in checking and monitoring executive agencies, appropriate laws and support personnel are absolutely necessary," adding, "We ask for active cooperation so that local councils can work diligently and lead the development of local autonomy."

Speaker Woo said, "To complete the local autonomy system and strengthen local governments, the councils within local governments must be granted independent authority so that they can carefully manage the livelihoods of our citizens." He added, "As the first Speaker of the National Assembly with a background in local autonomy, I will do my best to develop the local autonomy system."

The Local Council Act is a proposed law that regulates the organization and operation of local councils and is currently pending in the National Assembly. It includes provisions to strengthen the independence of local councils and to expand professional personnel to assist local council members in their legislative activities.