Seoul Metropolitan Council Regular Session Held... Settlement and Supplementary Budget Bills to be Processed by Next Month 2

Delayed Due to COVID-19 Cases, Held from the 15th to the 2nd of Next Month
Chairman Kim In-ho: "We Will Build a Seoul Where Coexistence and Fairness Thrive"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Council will hold the 301st regular session for 23 days from the 10th of this month to the 2nd of next month, handling various agenda items including the 2020 settlement of accounts and supplementary budgets. This regular session was originally scheduled to hold the first plenary session on the 10th, but due to a delay in the schedule caused by confirmed COVID-19 cases, it began on this day.

Chairman Kim In-ho stated in his opening remarks that the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council is approaching the end of its second half, nearly one year since it began, and said, "We have run the past year to keep the promises made at inauguration: the promise to govern Seoul steadfastly as a joint responsible party, the promise to do our best for the recovery of daily life, and the promise to achieve a leap in local autonomy and decentralization."

He said that first, through active fiscal expansion by securing supplementary budgets and disaster management funds, support was provided to small business owners and vulnerable groups, while carefully responding to citizens' anxieties by handling the significantly increased civil complaints amid COVID-19. He also stated that with the passage of the revised Local Autonomy Act, the Seoul Metropolitan Council will take a more independent stance and rise as a council that solely represents citizens on their behalf.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the remaining one year of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council must devote all its capabilities to restoring livelihoods stagnated by COVID-19 and laying the foundation for new local autonomy and decentralization. He said, "Starting this year, a paradigm shift in local autonomy is expected with the enactment of the Local Transfer Act, the autonomous police system, and the new Local Autonomy Act," and stressed, "Let us dedicate the remaining time to building a council that looks after more citizens from a lower position, building true trust and authority."

He also emphasized that the youth generation is the target that the 10th council will support with its last strength for Seoul’s sustainable future, stating that tangled issues such as low growth, low birthrate, and worsened conflicts will be resolved when youth problems are addressed. He said, "We must devote all our hearts to financial support and system establishment so that young people can deeply root themselves in Seoul," highlighting job creation, housing solutions, and expanding opportunities for social participation.

Chairman Kim mentioned that in the situation of a lack of quality jobs, full support is necessary so that young people can become leaders in new industries. He said that basic ladders such as youth allowances and expanding the Youth Hope Plus program must be guaranteed, and that the public sector should proactively nurture future talents in intellectual property rights, AI, and more. In the short term, public sector jobs in Seoul should also be expanded.

He also emphasized solving housing problems. Chairman Kim said, "About 4 out of 10 young people in Seoul are at the level of ‘housing poverty,’" and added, "The Seoul Metropolitan Council has been working to reduce housing cost burdens through legislation, such as raising the deposit support for youth housing near subway stations." He stressed, "The public sector will take the wheel and prioritize a significant expansion of youth housing supply."

He also pledged to increase opportunities for social participation. He said, "The sharply increased number of single-person households must start efforts to expand communication and participation spaces throughout Seoul to build a close-knit community," and added, "We will explore legislation to expand small-scale communities so that local libraries and cultural centers can become strong platforms connecting individuals."

Moreover, he said that legislation and administrative participation must be expanded so that any citizen can play a role as a responsible member of society. He said, "The ‘Resident Ordinance Proposal System’ included in the revised Local Autonomy Act will be the first step," and added, "We will strive to actively reflect the voices of the youth generation in city administration through the Youth Basic Ordinance and the Youth Development Special Committee."

During this regular session, starting with the opening ceremony on this day, each standing committee will review various agenda items related to their respective offices, headquarters, and bureaus from the 16th to the 22nd. Then, from the 23rd, a special budget and settlement committee will operate for six days, followed by three days of questions regarding Seoul city administration and education administration from the 29th to the 1st of next month. On the last day, the 2nd of next month, a plenary session will be held to process the agenda items referred after in-depth discussions in the standing committees.

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