Seongbuk-gu Holds 'Resident Autonomy Academy' to Strengthen Resident Autonomy Committee Capabilities

In Step with the Legislative Notice of the Full Revision of the Local Autonomy Act, Strengthening Resident-Centered Local Autonomy Capabilities... Seongbuk-gu Official: "This Training Will Lay the Foundation for Expanding Resident Autonomy Committees to All 20 Neighborhoods"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is holding a ‘Resident Autonomy School’ this month to lay the groundwork for expanding the Seoul-type Resident Autonomy Committees, which were previously operated in 10 neighborhoods, to all 20 neighborhoods.

The education period runs from the 2nd to the 25th, targeting about 600 residents who applied for training among the committee members of the 10 neighborhoods to be expanded. Those who complete 6 hours of training will be qualified for committee selection.

The training consists of three 2-hour lectures: ▲Lecture 1 ‘Understanding Grassroots Democratization and Resident Autonomy’ ▲Lecture 2 ‘Understanding the Seoul-type Resident Autonomy Committee Pilot Project’ ▲Lecture 3 ‘Resident Autonomy Committees and People.’

Participants who complete the training will be appointed as Resident Autonomy Committee members for a two-year term through a lottery process in December.

Due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, Seongbuk-gu decided to conduct the training mainly online.

Also, living up to the title of ‘Seongbuk-gu, the No. 1 Place for Living Autonomy,’ a Resident Autonomy Academy will be held to strengthen the practical capabilities of the Resident Autonomy Committees. The training targets about 80 people responsible for the practical work of the committees, such as secretaries, general affairs, and auditors.

The academy’s curriculum includes ▲Lecture 1 ‘Understanding Resident Autonomy Committee Budgets and Accounting’ (types of budget items and budget management methods) ▲Lecture 2 ‘Resident Autonomy Committee Operation Office Work and Plan Writing,’ conducted in two sessions on the 6th and 12th.

A district official stated, “We aim to make thorough preparations to establish a stable foundation for expanding the Resident Autonomy Committees to all 20 neighborhoods through this Resident Autonomy School and Academy.”

Recently, with the legislative notice of the ‘Complete Revision of the Local Autonomy Act,’ the revised Local Autonomy Act is expected to strengthen the autonomy of local governments and transform the relationship between local and central governments into a cooperative partnership, serving as a means to realize autonomy and decentralization.

Furthermore, to realize resident-centered local autonomy, it is required to strengthen the autonomy of the Resident Autonomy Committees, which are neighborhood-level resident representative organizations, along with high transparency and accountability.

In this context, the significance of expanding the Resident Autonomy Committees to all neighborhoods in Seongbuk-gu is special, and Seongbuk-gu plans to establish a public-private support system, including customized education for the growth and development of the committees, in line with this.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu said, “Based on the successful experience of the first phase pilot project of the Seoul-type Resident Autonomy Committees, Seongbuk-gu has expanded the committees to all neighborhoods. We will spare no support to strengthen the capabilities of the Resident Autonomy Committees, which are the foundation of autonomous decentralization, so that grassroots autonomy can be revitalized.”

The neighborhoods establishing Resident Autonomy Committees in 2021 are ▲Donam 1-dong ▲Donam 2-dong ▲Anam-dong ▲Jeongneung 1-dong ▲Jeongneung 3-dong ▲Jeongneung 4-dong ▲Gireum 2-dong ▲Wolgok 1-dong ▲Jangwi 2-dong ▲Jangwi 3-dong.

Seongbuk-gu Office, Autonomous Administration Division, Resident Autonomy Project Team

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