Gwangju City Council Concludes Regular Session... 22 Agenda Items Reviewed and Approved, Including Settlement Approval

City Administration Reviewed Through Administrative Audit

The Gwangju City Council in Gyeonggi Province (Chairman Heo Kyungheng) concluded its 19-day session on the 20th with the 3rd plenary meeting of the 1st regular session of the 317th assembly. During this regular session, the council deliberated and resolved a total of 22 agenda items, including the approval of the 2025 administrative audit report, the approval of the 2024 fiscal year settlement, and various ordinance bills and consent proposals.

Gwangju City Council (Chairman Heo Kyungheng) concluded the 19-day session schedule on the 20th with the 3rd plenary session of the 1st regular meeting of the 317th assembly. Provided by Gyeonggi Gwangju City Council

In particular, during the nine-day administrative audit conducted from the 9th to the 17th, a total of 487 issues were identified, leading to calls for improvements and corrective actions across all aspects of Gwangju City's administration. Through this process, the city council emphasized the need to enhance administrative transparency and accountability, and highlighted the necessity of policy improvements that reflect citizens' experiences.

The Special Committee on Administrative Audit strongly criticized cases of lax discipline, such as the improper receipt of overtime allowances by public officials, misuse of corporate credit cards, and unauthorized absences from the workplace. The committee also focused on problems of inefficiency and unfairness in budget execution, including preferential contracts awarded to specific companies and improper cost estimation.

The committee pointed out structural issues such as excessive allocation of event-related budgets, long-term unexecuted urban planning facilities, and the maintenance of aging infrastructure. It urged the city administration to prioritize and focus on essential matters, and to shift toward policies closely related to citizens' daily lives. The committee expressed strong regret over the Gwangju Cultural Foundation's decision to use net surplus funds to resume an event that had been cut by the council, and stressed the need for cooperation and communication.

According to the results of agenda reviews by each standing committee, the Administrative Welfare Committee deliberated on 10 items, including the "Partial Amendment Ordinance on Gwangju City Administrative Organization and Staffing" and the "Ordinance on Designation of Longevity Day and Support for Elderly Residents of Gwangju City," approving 8 as originally proposed, 1 with amendments, and rejecting 1. The Urban Environment Committee approved all 4 items as originally proposed, including the "Ordinance on Installation of Crosswalk Safety Facilities for Pedestrian Safety in Gwangju City" and the "Partial Amendment Ordinance on Parking Lot Installation and Management in Gwangju City."

The Council Operations Committee approved all 6 items as originally proposed, including the "Partial Amendment to the Rules on Overseas Official Travel by Gwangju City Council Members." Notably, the amendment to the "Rules on Overseas Official Travel by Council Members" reflects the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's standard guidelines, introducing institutional measures to strengthen pre-travel review, disclose committee deliberation results, and enhance transparency and accountability in official overseas travel.

Based on the results of these standing committee reviews, the plenary session held final votes on the relevant agenda items, and ordinances and policy items directly related to citizens' lives were officially adopted. Out of the 22 agenda items deliberated during this session, 20 were approved as originally proposed, 1 was approved with amendments, and 1 was rejected.

Chairman Heo Kyungheng stated, "This regular session was a meaningful opportunity to closely examine city administration from the citizens' perspective and to consider the future direction of administration together. Going forward, the council will continue to faithfully fulfill its oversight and check functions and carry out legislative activities that meet citizens' expectations."