Seo-gu Council Passes Full Amendment of Resident Ordinance Initiative
Reflects Changes in Higher Laws and Expands Resident Participation
The Gwangju Seo-gu Council member Ahn Hyeongju (Sangmu 2-dong, Seochang-dong, Geumho 1 and 2-dong) has passed the review of the Council Operation Committee for the “Ordinance on Resident Ordinance Initiative of Seo-gu, Gwangju City (Full Amendment Ordinance),” which was proposed to reflect the matters delegated to ordinances by the “Act on Resident Ordinance Initiative” and to supplement shortcomings in the current ordinance.
Hyeongju Ahn, Member of Gwangju Seo-gu Council.
According to Seo-gu Council on the 19th, the resident ordinance initiative system allows residents to directly propose ordinances necessary for the region. In Seo-gu, residents can propose an ordinance through a joint signature of 3,447 people (as of 2025), which is one seventieth of the total number of eligible petitioners.
The full amendment reflects changes in higher-level laws, specifying the public announcement and inspection period and location of the petitioner list, co-representatives, and representative change provisions, thereby enabling any citizen of Seo-gu to directly propose, amend, or abolish ordinances.
Ahn stated, “The roles of local governments and residents are becoming increasingly important in leading regional development by promoting policies tailored to local characteristics,” and added, “Through the amendment of the ordinance, I hope residents can more easily utilize the system, realizing local autonomy and grassroots democracy.”
Meanwhile, last month, Ahn held a meeting on the resident ordinance initiative petition with the heads of the Resident Autonomy Association, creating an opportunity to directly listen to residents’ voices and reflect them in policy.
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