Kim In-ho, Chair of the Council of Si·Do Chairs, and Heads of Four Local Councils Jointly Declare Ulsan Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0

Emphasizing Autonomous Decentralization 2.0 Soaring Anew Through Central-Local Solidarity and Cooperation

Greeting from Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Council of Chairpersons of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils of the Republic of Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Council of Chairpersons of the National Assembly of Local Governments of the Republic of Korea (Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council), announced the "Autonomy Decentralization 2.0 Ulsan Declaration" together with Song Ha-jin, Chairman of the Council of Governors of the Republic of Korea (Governor of Jeollabuk-do), Hwang Myung-sun, Chairman of the National Association of Mayors, Governors and District Heads (Mayor of Nonsan, Chungnam), and Jo Young-hoon, Chairman of the National Association of Chairpersons of City, County and District Councils (Chairman of Jung-gu Council, Seoul) at the 9th Local Autonomy Day ceremony held at the Exhibition Hall on the 1st floor of the Ulsan Exhibition & Convention Center at 2 p.m. on the 29th.

The heads of the four major local councils had previously demanded the realization of regional sovereignty and resident sovereignty for the establishment of a federal-level local decentralization state through the "Autonomy Decentralization Yeosu Declaration" in 2017 and the "Autonomy Decentralization Gyeongju Declaration" in 2018.

This declaration emphasizes that in the era of Autonomy Decentralization 2.0, the central and local governments and local councils are partners in national governance and must jointly respond to various policy and administrative demands. It pledges active cooperation to ensure that the necessary authority and resources for autonomy decentralization and balanced regional development are sufficiently transferred to local governments, striving to realize genuine resident autonomy and resident sovereignty.

The 9th Local Autonomy Day ceremony was graced by the attendance of the heads of the four major local councils, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, and Song Cheol-ho, Mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City, among others.

Prior to this, at 1 p.m. on the same day, the heads of the four major local councils held a meeting in the conference room on the 2nd floor of the Exhibition & Convention Center, urging for a constitutional amendment for local decentralization and the prompt enactment of the "(tentative name) 2nd Local Transfer Act," releasing a joint demand statement from the four local councils.

The joint demand statement strongly requests the government and the National Assembly to transfer sufficient finances and personnel to local governments to expand autonomous affairs, as local autonomy currently remains at about 20%.

Additionally, during the meeting, there was a consensus on the urgent need to promote full national funding for intensive infant investment projects and COVID-19 implementation costs, as well as to prepare measures for expanding the administrative office and staffing of local councils, agreeing to make joint efforts toward these goals.

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