Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Submits Proposal to National Assembly for 'Enhancement of Local Assembly Functions and Roles' System Improvement

The Gyeonggi Provincial Council has submitted a proposal for institutional improvements aimed at strengthening the roles and functions of local councils to the National Assembly.

On the 19th, Lim Chae-ho, Director of the Council Secretariat of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, visited National Assembly member Lee Kwang-hee of the Administrative and Security Committee to deliver a petition containing institutional improvement measures to enhance the functions and roles of local councils.

The petition includes ▲ upgrading the ranks within the Council Secretariat and establishing intermediate organizational levels ▲ expanding the number of professional advisors for local councils ▲ securing independent audit authority for local councils ▲ enacting the Local Council Act ▲ expanding the number of policy support officers for local councils and revising the Local Autonomy Act to establish a mutual aid association for local council members ▲ and revising the Local Research Institute Act to establish a Local Legislative Research Institute.

Lim Chae-ho, Secretary General of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council (left), visited the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 19th to deliver a proposal letter focusing on the expansion of local council authority to Assemblyman Lee Kwang-hee. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Council

The Gyeonggi Provincial Council particularly pointed out in the petition that local councils face difficulties in performing their functions and roles due to the independence of personnel authority without organization, budget, or audit rights, and emphasized that granting local councils the same powers and responsibilities as local governments would lead to strengthened autonomy capabilities, realization of decentralized governance, and ultimately an improvement in the quality of life for residents.

Director Lim Chae-ho stated, "As the largest local council in the country, the Gyeonggi Provincial Council is striving to improve the quality of life for 14.1 million residents of Gyeonggi Province through active legislative activities by its members. We ask the National Assembly’s Administrative and Security Committee to take a keen interest in this institutional improvement so that not only Gyeonggi residents but all citizens can feel satisfied with the functions and roles of local councils."

Meanwhile, in October of last year, the Gyeonggi Provincial Council visited the National Assembly’s Administrative and Security Committee to request cooperation from the National Assembly for institutional improvements to strengthen local council capabilities.