Suncheon City Council Assigns Members to Various Committees... Must Adhere to Exclusion Criteria

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] There are rumors that some council members are being unreasonable regarding the allocation of committees in relation to the complete overhaul of committees recommended by the Suncheon City Council.

As the second half of the council under Chairman Heo Yoo-in approaches one month since its launch, the city council has begun a thorough reorganization of the various committees it recommends, receiving applications from council members for their desired committees within each standing committee.

Among the committees, the committee that reviews permits related to urban planning, development, and architecture is reportedly facing difficulties in allocation due to many members expressing interest.

In particular, there are reports that some members who have served as committee members for years, citing expertise or related work experience, are stubbornly demanding to be recommended again.

Many opinions hold that if a member is currently involved in related work, not just having experience in urban planning or development, they should be excluded rather than considered an expert.

Article 3 of the Suncheon City Council Members' Code of Ethics and Ethical Practice Regulations states, “When having a direct interest in the agenda under review, administrative affairs, or investigations, members must disclose this in advance and refrain from participating in related activities.”

Therefore, recommending members with exclusion reasons to related committees violates the ordinance. Beyond legal violations, there is a moral issue, and members themselves should exclude or recuse themselves. Persisting in demanding recommendations despite this is criticized as unfit for public service.

Among the 24 total members of the Suncheon City Council, 17 expressed the urban construction committee as their first choice, and some members who were not allocated expressed complaints about “unfair allocation” and “assignment of members with exclusion reasons.”

Regarding this, Chairman Heo Yoo-in stated, “The scope of exclusion includes oneself, spouse, direct ascendants and descendants, and siblings. If there is a reason for exclusion, it is principle to exclude allocation to the related committee,” adding, “Even if the business is registered under another’s name, if the member is deeply involved in reality, they will be excluded,” showing his commitment to proper council management.

Citizen A said, “As the Suncheon City Council stands at a test to operate more transparently and be morally and ethically clean, we look forward to Chairman Heo Yoo-in’s proper council management.”

Meanwhile, in the composition of the second half standing committees of the Suncheon City Council, the Urban Construction Committee, responsible for urban planning, development, architecture, and construction, was the most popular among council members.

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