Heo Seong-mu, Representative Chairman of the Special City Council, Visits Blue House to Propose 'Support to Open a New Horizon for Local Autonomy'

Strong Request for Whole-Government Support Including Mayors of Four Special Cities

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] With the official launch of the special city status scheduled for January 13 next year, about six months away, Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon and the mayors of the four special cities including Goyang, Suwon, and Yongin are continuing their efforts.

Heo Seong-mu, mayor of Changwon and representative chairman of the Special City Mayors' Council, met with Lee Sin-nam, Secretary for Local Autonomy Development at the Blue House, on the 12th to request government-wide support for the successful launch of the special cities.

During the meeting, discussions were held on raising the social welfare benefit standards of special cities to the level of large cities, establishing a dedicated organization to promote the 2nd Local Transfer Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Local Autonomy Act, among other matters.

Special cities are a new form of local autonomy model that recognizes special privileges suitable to the characteristics and capabilities of the region and city, enabling the provision of better administrative services.

However, since the specific privileges to be granted have not yet been determined, urgent measures such as the enactment and revision of related laws are needed.

Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon stated, "In the face of the increasingly severe concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and the crisis of local extinction, a new form of local autonomy through special cities can be the answer," and reiterated his request for government-wide support to achieve this.

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