Ordinances Speak: Mungyeong City Council Achieves Results Through Legislation

The 9th Council Sets Provincial Record for Member-Proposed Ordinances
From Agenda Review to Policy Production Hub

The 9th Mungyeong City Council has been faithfully fulfilling its fundamental role as a local legislative body through legislation-centered parliamentary activities, achieving concrete results. It is being evaluated as having proven its status as a 'policy-producing institution' that drives changes in citizens' lives, going beyond simply handling agenda items and monitoring the executive branch, with tangible figures to back it up.

Mungyeong City Council Policy for a Working Council

According to the Mungyeong City Council, since the opening of the 9th council on July 1, 2022, a total of 637 bills have been reviewed and resolved to date. Of these, 157 were ordinance bills, proposals, or resolutions directly sponsored by council members, indicating a very high proportion of legislative activity within the council's overall work.

During the same period, there were 61 five-minute free speeches and 119 administrative questions, demonstrating a balanced approach to both monitoring the executive branch and proposing policies.

The council's legislative achievements also stand out in objective indicators.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Local Administration Comprehensive Information Disclosure System, from July 2023 to June 2024, the average number of ordinances proposed per member in the 22 basic councils of North Gyeongsang Province was only 1.95. However, in the Mungyeong City Council, the figure reached 3.6 per member, about 185% higher than the provincial average.

Since the launch of the 9th council, the cumulative number of ordinances proposed by members has reached 150, with an average of 15 per member-an all-time high.

This demonstrates that the Mungyeong City Council is not merely a body for reviewing agenda items, but is actively engaged in policy legislation that concretizes local issues into systems.

In practice, the council has institutionalized a series of policies closely linked to citizens' daily lives, including: ▲support for entrance preparation funds for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school students; ▲child dream nurturing vouchers; ▲expanded subsidies for aging apartment complexes; ▲support for shingles vaccination; ▲nursing care cost support for low-income families; ▲support for seniors' bathing, hairdressing, and knee joint replacement surgery costs; ▲establishing a basis for personnel hearings; and ▲strengthening special guarantees for small businesses.

In particular, the 'complete free city bus' policy, the first of its kind implemented by a basic local government at the city level nationwide, has drawn attention as a legislative case aimed at both expanding transportation welfare and revitalizing tourism and the local economy. The policy has become a national benchmark, as it not only strengthens the public nature of guaranteeing citizens' right to mobility but also brings the additional effect of revitalizing local businesses by attracting outside visitors.

Leading legislation has also continued in the health and medical sector. The 'Integrated Nursing and Nursing Care Service Support Ordinance' is the first case in the country to convert nursing care costs, previously fully borne by patients, into expenses covered by health insurance, reducing the out-of-pocket rate to 20%. It is regarded as an innovative system that substantially alleviates residents' medical expenses, reflecting the rapidly aging reality of small and medium-sized cities.

Based on these policy achievements, the Mungyeong City Council has achieved a triple crown of government awards in the local council sector, including: ▲the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Institutional Commendation at the '2025 Local Council Best Practices Competition'; ▲selection by the Ministry of Government Legislation as an 'Outstanding Local Legislative Activity Council'; and ▲selection by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as a '2025 Local Council with Outstanding Work Performance.' This is a result of being recognized for both policy planning capabilities and legislative completeness.

Lee Jeonggeol, Chairperson of the Mungyeong City Council, stated, "The 9th council has focused its legislative capabilities so that citizens' opinions are not just declarations but are connected to policies and systems," adding, "For the remainder of our term, we will steadfastly continue to play the role of a trusted local council, centering on policies directly linked to citizens' lives."

Amid recurring debates about the necessity of local councils, the achievements of the Mungyeong City Council stand out in that they prove the council's value through ordinances and systems. It is being evaluated as having raised the standard of parliamentary activities by enacting policies that go beyond simple agenda review to change citizens' everyday lives.