Seoul Metropolitan Council June Regular Session, a Turning Point for 'Oh Se-hoon Seoul City' Policies... Focus on 'Organizational Restructuring Plan' Approval

Regular City Council Meeting to be Held from the 10th... First City Administration Questions Scheduled from the 11th to 15th, First Since Oh Se-hoon's Inauguration

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the regular session of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is scheduled for June, Mayor Oh Se-hoon's policies are expected to face a crossroads. Although Mayor Oh and the Seoul Metropolitan Council mentioned cooperation several times early in his term, the situation remains challenging.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council and Seoul City on the 1st, the council plans to hold the 301st regular session from the 10th to the 30th of this month. City administration questions, including approval of last year's settlement, are scheduled from the 11th to the 15th. This is the first time since Mayor Oh took office. A council official explained, "The regular session will begin with city administration questions for Mayor Oh starting on the 11th," adding, "Various agenda items, including settlement approval, will be addressed."

So far, the council, where the Democratic Party of Korea holds 101 out of 110 seats, postponed the city administration questions from April to June at Mayor Oh's request to ensure continuity in Seoul's administration. They also deferred the administrative audit related to the unresolved issue of Mayor Oh's family’s land in Naegok-dong. Since taking office, Mayor Oh has visited the council first and repeatedly expressed his willingness to cooperate with the council whenever possible. In particular, he has appeared to accept the council's requests regarding projects such as the Gwanghwamun Plaza restructuring and free kindergarten meals.

However, a different atmosphere is emerging concerning high-level personnel appointments, organizational restructuring plans, and housing policies. Some view Mayor Oh’s critical stance on the late former Mayor Park Won-soon's policies and his strong messages delivered outside the council regarding housing policies aimed at revitalizing redevelopment and reconstruction unfavorably. There was initially speculation that the council would hold a so-called 'one-point extraordinary session' to handle these matters, but this was canceled due to COVID-19 cases and is also believed to reflect this tense atmosphere.

Above all, the discord between the two sides originated from the organizational restructuring plan Mayor Oh submitted last month. To fulfill his election pledge of "speedy housing supply," Mayor Oh proposed elevating the Housing Construction Headquarters to the Housing Policy Office and significantly downsizing the urban regeneration department, which former Mayor Park had emphasized. The council has requested restraint in completely overturning policies that require continuity. The Seoul Democracy Commission, symbolically promoted by former Mayor Park, will be maintained until July 24 and then its functions will be absorbed into the 'Citizen Cooperation Bureau' under the main office.

Meanwhile, on the 26th of last month, Mayor Oh began accelerating efforts by announcing the 'Six Major Regulatory Relaxation Tasks Related to Redevelopment,' aiming to supply 240,000 housing units by 2025. The six tasks include abolishing the Residential Maintenance Index system, shortening the designation period of maintenance zones through full introduction of public planning, strengthening democratic procedures for resident consent rates and simplifying verification stages, designating new zones in old areas among redevelopment cancellation zones, improving project feasibility by relaxing regulations in Type 2 seven-story general residential areas, and holding contests for redevelopment zone designation. Analysts predict inevitable clashes with the council, which is dominated by the Democratic Party of Korea.

A Seoul city official stated, "Mayor Oh is holding breakfast meetings and other discussions with the floor leaders to maintain relations with the council," adding, "The organizational restructuring plan must pass the council in June to be reflected in the July regular personnel appointments, so we are negotiating through various channels."

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