Opening of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council's Final Regular Session

Summary of Schedule and Agenda from June 10 to 21... Reflections on Concluding 4 Years of Legislative Activities at the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council's Final Regular Session

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) held the 308th regular session for 12 days from June 10 to June 21.

During this regular session, various agenda items including the 2021 settlement of accounts are scheduled to be processed.

Chairman Kim In-ho (Democratic Party) expressed his reflections on concluding the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council in his opening remarks and extended his gratitude to the executive branch and council members who worked together to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. While acknowledging that Seoul and all regions worldwide faced a serious crisis, he emphasized hope by noting that this served as an opportunity to create value-centered changes toward a sustainable future.

He also welcomed the newly commencing "11th Council" and urged the 11th Council to strive for substantial promotion of local autonomy and decentralization within the flow of changes established by the 10th Council, achieving even stronger development.

This extraordinary session began with an opening ceremony on June 10, followed by deliberations on various agenda items related to each department, headquarters, and bureau by standing committees from June 13 to 16, and the operation of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee from June 17 to 20.

On the final day, June 21, a plenary session will be held to process agenda items that were thoroughly discussed and submitted by the standing committees.

Opening Remarks by the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council

Respected and beloved ten million citizens,

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

And fellow and senior council members,

Today marks the beginning of the last regular session of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council.

Thank you all for joining this occasion to conclude our legislative activities.

As everyone agrees, the past four years have been full of challenges.

The suddenly emerging pandemic threatened human life and health and spread rapidly,

forcing governments to focus on building strong defenses against the virus.

At the same time, inside those defenses,

there was fierce change to regain the lost ordinary daily life more than ever before.

Given the very difficult circumstances,

the process of overcoming them was never easy.

For the Seoul Metropolitan Council, communication and cooperation were key challenges.

During the unexpected vacancy of the Seoul Mayor and the transition of the executive branch,

efforts were needed to coordinate and harmonize anew.

However, the single goal of protecting citizens from the crisis

seems to have sustained us.

Prioritizing citizen safety,

the council and the executive branch made joint efforts.

Through multiple emergency supplementary budget approvals and legislative enactments,

the council focused on protecting citizens with swift and proactive legislative activities.

Despite urgent situations in each region,

members willingly made concessions for the benefit of the nation and the entire city rather than individual interests, which was a great strength.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who showed consideration for the greater good.

Today, I also want to talk about the specialness of the past four years.

Although the world faced a serious crisis,

it became an opportunity to seriously consider a sustainable future.

A consensus has formed that environmental agendas such as eco-friendly carbon neutrality

can no longer be postponed, and each is being pursued with a sense of urgency.

We have realized that a voluntary system centered on residents and localities

is healthier and more efficient than a unilateral system led by the state.

Technology and medicine advance daily,

and businesses and markets, which seemed to have paused momentarily,

have regained their growth trajectory amid fluctuations.

Above all, it is gratifying that

the importance of communal values such as fairness, equality, and social solidarity is being recognized.

Thanks to this, various laws and systems to protect and support the socially vulnerable

are being established rapidly.

Seoul has also made progress in many areas.

Although some sectors were directly hit by COVID-19,

many areas have improved significantly compared to four years ago.

Looking day by day, it was a crisis and hardship,

but looking back in the future, even this moment

will surely be a moment of progress.

The crisis was overwhelming due to its speed and magnitude,

but progress is slow and hard to notice.

Thank you to everyone who has shared this journey.

A new council will begin in July.

We welcome the 11th Council, newly established by the will of the citizens.

The number ‘11’ signifies newness.

However, it is not just a number that is new for the sake of newness,

but a number added on top of a long history of 10 terms.

It is a time to retain the 30 years of experience and know-how of local autonomy

and to breathe new passion once again.

Therefore, expectations are high.

Within the flow of changes prepared by the 10th Council,

the 11th Council will achieve even stronger development.

In particular, based on the foundation of the era of Korea’s Local Autonomy 2.0, initiated by the full revision of the Local Autonomy Act,

substantial local autonomy and decentralization can be promoted.

For local autonomy, a core element of sustainable growth, to mature to the level we desire,

additional legal revisions and securing local financial capacity are urgently needed.

It is necessary to secure outstanding local talents and provide capacity-building education,

and to strengthen exchanges and cooperation among local governments, local councils, and local consultative bodies.

Naturally, the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council should be at the center of all these efforts.

We will all work together inside and outside.

And dear citizens of Seoul,

thank you deeply for your interest and support so far.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council will carefully complete the approval of the 2021 settlement of accounts through this last regular session.

We know that fulfilling our given responsibilities until the end is the only way to repay your support.

Finally,

there are people I especially want to greet.

To the officials of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and Seoul Metropolitan Council,

who have silently served and devoted themselves to citizens on the front lines of quarantine and support over the past few years,

thank you sincerely.

I wholeheartedly wish only good things for your future.

Thank you.

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