Speaker Woo Wonsik Vows Push for "Decentralization-Oriented Amendment"... Kim Kyungsoo Stresses "Balanced Growth Without Disruption"

Speaker Woo Meets Local Era Committee Chairman Kim at National Assembly

National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik met with Kim Kyungsoo, chairman of the Local Era Committee, at the National Assembly on the 4th and expressed his position that he would do his utmost to achieve a constitutional amendment that can garner consensus, including enshrining local decentralization in the Constitution.

Kim Kyungsoo, chairman of the Local Era Committee, is visiting Woo Wonsik, Speaker of the National Assembly, at the National Assembly on the 4th to discuss ways to address the problem of regional depopulation. Yonhap News

Speaker Woo said, "Local decentralization is a task that must be pursued to ensure a sustainable Republic of Korea."

Speaker Woo added, "Discussions on a decentralization-oriented constitutional amendment, which would redistribute excessively concentrated powers and finances from the central government, are taking place across the country," and asked, "I hope the Local Era Committee will listen to various voices and present proposals."

He also said, "Since both the ruling and opposition parties have begun to talk about constitutional revision, it is entirely possible to open the door to amendment," and pledged, "As Speaker of the National Assembly, I will do my best to ensure that a constitutional amendment that can command agreement, including a decentralization-oriented amendment and the strengthening of citizens' fundamental rights, can be realized."

He went on to promise, "The National Assembly will provide strong support for the Lee Jaemyung administration's 'five hubs and three special zones' strategy and for the swift passage of the Administrative Integration Act."

In response, Chairman Kim said, "Since both the ruling and opposition parties have consistently spoken together about a decentralization-oriented constitutional amendment, I hope we can continue the discussions smoothly," adding, "I hope we will be able to push forward with a consensus-based amendment as early as possible."

Present at the meeting were Kim Myungseop, chief of staff to the Local Era Committee; Cho Oseop, chief of staff to the Speaker of the National Assembly; Kwak Hyun, senior secretary for political affairs; Lee Wonjeong, senior secretary for policy; and Park Taeseo, senior secretary for public affairs.