Seoul Metropolitan Council, First Nationwide to Implement 'Remote Attendance and Non-Face-to-Face Voting'

According to the revised meeting rules, Seoul Metropolitan Council members who cannot attend the meeting hall due to urgent reasons including the spread of infectious diseases can attend the meeting remotely and participate in voting remotely as well.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council's Steering Committee (Chairman Kim Jeong-tae) established the basis for 'remote attendance and non-face-to-face voting' for the first time nationwide through the revision of meeting rules on the 9th, laying the foundation for uninterrupted operation of local councils.

Chairman Kim Jeong-tae (The Democratic Party, Yeongdeungpo 2nd Electoral District) explained the purpose, saying, "As the spread of the COVID-19 infectious disease continues, concerns have been raised that the operation of local councils, which are conducted by gathering many people in limited spaces, could be suspended. The local council, which holds the final decision-making authority on various policies directly related to citizens' lives, must never be interrupted under any circumstances. With this urgent mindset, we hastily prepared the related regulations."

According to the revised meeting rules, the Seoul Metropolitan Council allows members to attend meetings remotely and participate in voting remotely if urgent reasons arise, including the spread of infectious diseases, that prevent members from attending the meeting venue.

With the establishment of autonomous legal grounds for remote attendance and non-face-to-face voting, the Seoul Metropolitan Council plans to promptly build a remote meeting and voting system to respond to urgent situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman Kim Jeong-tae anticipated, "It is expected that many local councils nationwide, including the National Assembly, which is beginning discussions on remote attendance and non-face-to-face voting through amendments to the National Assembly Act, will follow the pioneering move of the Seoul Metropolitan Council amid the ongoing confusion."

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