Public Officials' Union Protests Against "Excessive Requests for Materials"
Gwangju Namgu Public Officials Union is holding a picket protest condemning the Namgu Council. Provided by the National Public Officials Union Gwangju Headquarters Namgu Branch
The Namgu Council in Gwangju expressed concern that the public officials' union's claim of excessive requests for administrative audit materials was an interference with the audit, emphasizing that such requests fall within the council's legitimate authority.
On December 2, the Namgu Council issued a statement, saying, "We express strong concern over the executive branch's request to sign a prior agreement, citing excessive requests for materials related to the 2025 administrative audit."
The council stated, "The administrative audit and requests for materials, as stipulated by the Local Autonomy Act, are core rights of the council guaranteed by law, and no form of prior agreement can restrict these rights." The council added, "Regarding the executive branch's claim that requests for materials should be limited to this year's performance, the administrative audit is not a procedure limited to reviewing a specific year's results. It is standard practice for local councils nationwide to review data from the previous and the year before last to examine the entire process of a project. Therefore, requesting materials from 2023 and 2024 is an essential procedure to ensure the effectiveness of the audit."
Regarding the possibility of some overlapping requests by individual council members, the council explained, "Since each member has different areas of interest and scope of review, detailed requests for materials may vary. If the requested materials have already been submitted, the executive branch can simply respond, which would be sufficient."
The council further stated, "The 'agreement to adjust the scope of material requests' proposed by the executive branch undermines the independence and autonomy of the council and cannot be accepted. To minimize administrative inefficiency, we plan to systematically refine and adjust the internal procedures for requesting materials within the council. This is merely an operational measure to supplement the audit process and does not constitute a reduction of the council's authority."
Additionally, the council emphasized, "If the executive branch delays or restricts the submission of materials on the grounds of excessive requests, this constitutes a violation of the duty of sincere cooperation under the Local Autonomy Act and may amount to obstruction of the audit. We express serious concern over the planned assembly in the hallway of the council building during the audit period and will consider measures to maintain order and safety."
Previously, the Namgu Branch of the National Public Officials Union Gwangju Headquarters held picket protests and a resolution rally, criticizing council members for 'excessive requests for materials' and demanding the establishment of guidelines for material requests and adjustments to the audit period.
As a result, all morning schedules on the first day of the 2025 audit were postponed to the afternoon, and even in the afternoon, the audit schedule was partially delayed due to the union's resolution rally. The union announced plans to continue solo protests in front of the Namgu District Office every morning, condemning the council.
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