Criticism Continues Even After Seoul City Council's Committee Formation, Drawing Attention

Seoul Metropolitan Council Elected 10 Standing Committee Chairs on the 14th, but Criticism Arises Over Regional Bias, Drawing Attention to the Background

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council is struggling to find stability.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) held a special session on the 14th to elect the chairpersons of the Operations Committee and 10 standing committees.

However, there is still noise surrounding the regional concentration of the standing committee chairpersons and various rumors about the nomination of council members.

In particular, with 102 out of 110 Seoul council members belonging to the Democratic Party of Korea, there has been considerable criticism of the one-sided formation of the council centered on the Democratic Party.

It is reported that the nomination of standing committee chairpersons was decisively influenced by the floor leader of the majority party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council's operating ordinance, standing committee members are appointed or improved in the plenary session after consultation between the chairperson and the representative members of each negotiation group.

Accordingly, the floor leader of the majority party, the Democratic Party, is known to have exerted strong influence over the selection of standing committee chairpersons.

As a result, various rumors about some of the nominated standing committee chairperson candidates continue to circulate among council members. At the Democratic Party members' general meeting that day, eight members spoke out in opposition.

It is reported that there has never been such a noisy members' general meeting for the nomination of standing committee chairpersons in the council's history.

The floor leader of the majority party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council holds strong authority over matters such as the assignment of members to standing committees, similar to the floor leader in the National Assembly. However, while the National Assembly floor leader is elected through a fierce election, the Seoul Metropolitan Council floor leader is nominated by a group of three-term members, raising questions about whether this power is legitimately elected through proper procedures.

Council members are opposing the fact that such a floor leader with strong authority nominates candidates for standing committee chairpersons.

Accordingly, Council Member A stated, “It is proper that the floor leader be elected through an election involving all council members.” If the floor leader with strong authority is elected through an election, some noise may be tolerated, but if the floor leader, elected by a group of senior members recommending a specific person, nominates standing committee chairperson candidates and causes problems, the aftereffects could last a long time.

Moreover, the ongoing backlash against the nomination and election of a large number of chairperson candidates from a specific region during this standing committee chairperson candidate selection process is seen as evidence of these issues.

The opposition votes against some standing committee chairperson candidates in the Seoul Metropolitan Council plenary session election are also analyzed as expressions of these opinions.

Another Council Member B said, “The nomination and election of standing committee chairperson candidates in this Seoul Metropolitan Council have caused many problems,” adding, “If Chairman Kim In-ho’s rational leadership and Floor Leader Jo Sang-ho’s cautious exercise of authority are not visible, there are concerns about whether the Seoul Metropolitan Council can operate properly over the next two years.”

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