Kim In-ho, Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council, "Will Do Our Best to Restore Livelihoods and Realize Resident Autonomy"

Seoul City Council Holds 305th Extraordinary Session... Scheduled for 15 Days from February 7 to 21

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) will hold the 305th extraordinary session for 15 days from February 7 to February 21.

During this extraordinary session, various current issues will be addressed, including the New Year's work report on the 2022 Seoul city administration and education administration.

Chairman Kim In-ho (Democratic Party) emphasized in his opening remarks that it is time for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and Seoul Metropolitan Council to become partners in overcoming the crisis, to restore the collapsed livelihood, and to create momentum for community recovery. He stated that the most important goal of this year's city administration is ‘recovery.’

In particular, considering the recent increase in COVID-19 confirmed cases, he said that all our capabilities must be concentrated in one place and all-out efforts must be made solely for recovery.

He also promised to expedite the recovery of citizens' daily lives by solving urgent problems through detailed and specific support while establishing a massive safety net through proactive and inclusive support.

Furthermore, Chairman Kim stressed that the 2022 budget was a hard-won agreement made through repeated coordination for the greater cause of livelihood recovery. He expressed gratitude to senior and fellow council members who conceded regional budgets from a magnanimous perspective and prepared a COVID-19 livelihood support budget of 857.6 billion KRW.

The 857.6 billion KRW COVID-19 livelihood support budget will be used for 16 projects across three sectors. ▲ 652.6 billion KRW for supporting small business owners and self-employed persons who suffered the most from the prolonged crisis ▲ 154.8 billion KRW for supporting blind spot victims who suffered significant damage from COVID-19 but were excluded from government compensation ▲ 50.1 billion KRW for expanding quarantine infrastructure.

Chairman Kim urged the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promptly execute the budget to extinguish urgent fires and to prepare for an early supplementary budget to cover blind spots by identifying those excluded even from this measure. He also reiterated that the 2022 budget is a ‘promise’ achieved through long deliberation and agreement between the city and the council, urging to put aside political strife that could cause noise to citizens and focus on policies that can comfort citizens to expedite the recovery of daily life.

He mentioned that this year marks the first year of the full revision of the Local Autonomy Act, implemented to realize groundbreaking resident sovereignty and strengthen local council capabilities. As the eldest local council nationwide, the Seoul Metropolitan Council will not cease nationwide solidarity and legislative efforts for the smooth landing of various systems introduced this year and for additional improvements to local council systems.

Finally, Chairman Kim announced that the term of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council is nearing its end and promised to do his best to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and realize resident autonomy with a fresh mindset during the remaining period.

This extraordinary session will begin with an opening ceremony on February 7, followed by the 2022 work report on the same day. On February 8, questions regarding Seoul city administration and education administration will be held. From February 9 to February 20, each standing committee will review the New Year's work reports of their respective departments and deliberate on various agenda items. On February 21, a plenary session will be held to process the agenda items thoroughly discussed and submitted by the standing committees.

Opening Remarks by the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council

Dear ten million respected and beloved citizens,

Officials of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education,

and senior and fellow council members,

Thank you for attending the 305th extraordinary session of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council.

Starting today, for 15 days, through the first extraordinary session of 2022,

we intend to review Seoul’s annual plan aimed at restoring citizens’ daily lives and revitalizing the local economy.

The most important goal of this year’s city administration, as envisioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Council, is

‘recovery.’

The past two years were devoted to protecting citizens’ safety against the COVID-19 pandemic,

and the coming time must be dedicated to rebuilding the collapsed livelihood

and creating momentum for community recovery.

And the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and Seoul Metropolitan Council gathered here today

must be remembered as partners in overcoming the crisis through cooperation and governance to achieve this common goal.

The recent COVID-19 situation is serious.

The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly,

with daily new confirmed cases exceeding 35,000,

and Seoul’s daily confirmed cases reaching 7,000 to 8,000.

The accumulating numbers remind us that

our collective capabilities must not be dispersed elsewhere but focused in one place.

We must temporarily set aside the romance of global city competitiveness

and devote all our efforts solely to recovery.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Seoul Metropolitan Council has not hesitated to establish legal grounds

to avoid missing the optimal timing for quarantine and support,

but we believe greater efforts are needed going forward.

We must solve urgent problems through detailed and specific support,

while also establishing a massive safety net through proactive and inclusive support.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council promises to appropriately combine these two contrasting types of support in policy implementation

to expedite the recovery of citizens’ daily lives.

Dear ten million respected citizens,

As you well know,

the 2022 budget approval process was not easy.

Choosing where to allocate limited resources first,

the Seoul Metropolitan Council fiercely confronted the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

However, for the greater cause of livelihood recovery,

we reached an agreement through repeated coordination,

and barely finalized the budget.

Budgeting is always a matter of choice.

To use limited resources effectively,

someone must make concessions and step back with virtue.

The council members here have done that.

The regional budgets conceded from a magnanimous perspective

formed the basis of the 857.6 billion KRW COVID-19 livelihood support budget,

which helps ease the hardships of vulnerable groups.

It would have been better if the originally hoped scale had been secured,

but I sincerely thank senior and fellow council members who squeezed out this amount from a dry treasury.

The 857.6 billion KRW COVID-19 livelihood support budget

will be used for 16 projects across three sectors.

First, 652.6 billion KRW will be invested in supporting small business owners and self-employed persons

who suffered the most from the prolonged crisis.

500,000 tenant small business owners will receive 1 million KRW in cash support for rent,

and merchants in city public markets such as subway and underground shopping malls

will receive rent reductions of up to 60% depending on sales decline rates.

The water bill reduction implemented last year will be extended for six months,

and loan support will be provided on a scale of 1 trillion KRW.

The budget also includes issuance of Seoul Love Gift Certificates to stimulate consumption in local markets

and 3 million KRW in crisis overcoming funds for 5,500 small tourism businesses.

Second, 154.8 billion KRW will be invested in supporting blind spot victims

who suffered significant damage from COVID-19 but were excluded from government compensation.

About 27,000 bus and corporate taxi drivers who faced difficulties due to passenger decline

will receive 500,000 KRW in employment stability support funds,

and about 250,000 special-type workers and freelancers will receive 500,000 KRW in emergency living expenses.

Approximately 13,000 artists with median income below 120% will also receive 1 million KRW in emergency living stabilization funds.

Third, 50.1 billion KRW will be invested in expanding quarantine infrastructure.

It will be used to secure hospital beds and expand additional personnel

to treat the rapidly increasing number of patients.

The 857.6 billion KRW invested this time

may not be sufficient to resolve all longstanding difficulties,

but it is expected to provide hope to endure once more.

And that hope must be delivered as quickly as possible,

without discrimination among recipients.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon,

we ask the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promptly execute the budget

and focus all efforts on extinguishing urgent fires.

Also, please identify those excluded even from this measure

and prepare for an early supplementary budget to cover blind spots.

We urge you again and again to expedite the flow of the hard-won funds

to where they are needed without delay.

Furthermore, I want to remind you of the meaning of the promise.

There is no promise without mutual consent.

The 2022 budget is the result of long deliberation and agreement between the city and the council.

Please put aside political strife that could cause noise to citizens

and focus on policies that can comfort citizens to expedite the recovery of daily life.

I hope Mayor Oh, who has worked to reduce unnecessary conflicts and foster respect and communication,

will be remembered in history in the distant future.

Dear senior and fellow council members,

This year is also the first year of resident autonomy development.

The full revision of the Local Autonomy Act, passed by the National Assembly on December 9, 2020,

was implemented last month.

The revision aimed to increase residents’ political participation,

respond to changes in regional administrative environments such as population decline,

and overhaul the outdated local autonomy system,

with key contents including groundbreaking realization of resident sovereignty and strengthening of local council capabilities.

To this end, the purpose clause of Article 1 of the Local Autonomy Act now explicitly states residents’ participation in local autonomous administration,

and Article 17 grants the right to participate in policy decision and execution processes, clearly affirming that power originates from residents.

Additionally, the revision introduced the resident ordinance proposal system

and eased the requirements for resident recall and referendum petitions,

enabling substantial resident participation.

Alongside this, to strengthen the autonomy and capabilities of local councils as residents’ representative bodies,

the appointment authority for city and provincial council staff has been made independent,

and the basis for introducing policy support professionals has been established.

Although local councils are supposed to oversee executive affairs and deliberate and approve budgets,

it was difficult to secure independence and autonomy in office operations because city and provincial governors held personnel authority over councils.

Now, local councils have greater capabilities and authority,

and can accurately reflect residents’ demands in policies.

It is no exaggeration to say that the responsibility to shift from state-led autonomy

to local-led and resident-led autonomy rests on the shoulders of local councils.

As the eldest local council nationwide, the Seoul Metropolitan Council

will ensure the smooth landing of newly introduced systems this year,

and will not cease nationwide solidarity and legislative efforts to improve local council systems that have yet to be reflected.

Dear beloved ten million citizens,

Previous discussions on local autonomy system improvements

may seem unrelated to livelihood at first glance.

However, the resident autonomy we pursue now

is the most realistic and practical legislative goal to reflect residents’ voices across all areas of Korean society

and to implement politics that residents truly want.

Therefore, the Seoul Metropolitan Council promises

to devote itself to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis

and to realizing resident autonomy during the remaining time.

Haehyeon-gangjang (解弦更張).

With the spirit of tightening the loosened strings of the geomungo again,

we will fill this position, granted by citizens through voting,

with the original intention of the first day four years ago.

In times of confusion, without faltering,

without retreating in the face of unexpected hardships and adversities,

faithful to the fundamental principle of representation on behalf of citizens,

we will cultivate citizens’ happiness solely by the will of the citizens.

Every moment,

we will dedicate ourselves to the safety of Seoul and the recovery of daily life.

Thank you.

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