Kim In-ho, Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Attends 'Local Council Act Legislation Forum to Strengthen Decentralization'

Chairman Kim emphasizes "Legal support is essential for local councils to establish their status as independent bodies and truly lead autonomous decentralization"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim In-ho, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, attended the "Legislation Forum on the Local Council Act to Strengthen Local Autonomy" held at the National Assembly Library on the morning of the 16th, where he mentioned the necessity of enacting an independent law related to local councils.

This forum was hosted by the office of National Assembly member Lee Hae-sik and organized by the National Assembly Autonomy and Balance Forum, the National Council of Chairpersons of City and Provincial Councils, the National Council of Chairpersons of City, County, and District Councils, the National Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads, and the Korea Democratic Leaders Council for Local Autonomy (KDLC). The event discussed the need to enact the "Local Council Act," which regulates the organization and operation of local councils, and to strengthen the status and authority of local councils through this legislation.

Chairperson Kim In-ho attended the forum and stated, "It has been 30 years since the revival of local councils in 1991, and while the responsibilities and roles of local councils have grown significantly, the laws and systems surrounding local councils still remain as they were 30 years ago," adding, "To properly carry out the most important duty of local councils, which is to monitor and check the executive branch, it is essential to have authority commensurate with their responsibility as representatives of the citizens."

He further added, "There is a need to enact a separate law, the 'Local Council Act,' so that local councils can establish their status as independent institutions and lead genuine local autonomy."

The Seoul Metropolitan Council, during its 9th term, was the first among local councils nationwide to form a 'Local Decentralization Task Force' to actively discuss ways to develop local councils. In this process, they promoted the enactment of the 'Local Council Act,' which encompasses the overall composition and operation of local councils.

In November 2017, a bill to enact the Local Council Act was prepared under the leadership of the Seoul Metropolitan Council and submitted to the National Assembly in February 2018. However, regrettably, it was not properly discussed within the National Assembly and was automatically discarded with the expiration of the 20th National Assembly's term.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.