Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, "This Extraordinary Session's Keywords: Field First and Livelihood Priority"

Seoul Metropolitan Council Holds 314th Extraordinary Session from September 14 to 28 for 15 Days to Address City Administration Questions and Current Issues

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim Hyun-ki) will hold the 314th extraordinary session from September 14 to September 28 for 15 days. This session will handle major current issues including the first questions on Seoul city administration and education administration by the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council, the proposal to abolish the ordinance on the establishment and operation of the Seoul Metropolitan Media Foundation (tbs), and the hearing on the taxi late-night surcharge and base fare adjustment (draft).

Chairman Kim Hyun-ki (People Power Party, Gangnam District 3rd Constituency) said in his opening remarks, “The keywords for this extraordinary session, held ahead of this year’s administrative audit and next year’s budget review, are ‘field-first’ and ‘people’s livelihood priority.’ The council must become a body that carefully refines policies by directly seeing, hearing, and feeling the field.”

He also emphasized that “the final decision-maker of policy is the council” and expressed hope that “in the future, the council’s filtering and decision-making functions will be respected.”

He presented key topics to be addressed in this session, including the ordinance to abolish tax support for traffic broadcasting, the taxi fare increase proposal, and urgent issues such as incinerator construction, urging, “We must fiercely debate and discuss to prove what constitutes people’s livelihood and what role the council representing citizens should play.”

Furthermore, Chairman Kim demanded the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to restore public education properly, emphasizing, “The council has allocated a budget in the supplementary budget to reduce students with basic academic deficiencies, and since the Superintendent of Education has agreed, responsible execution is necessary.”

He continued, “It is urgently required to boldly move away from a 3% sample survey to a full survey of basic academic skills,” and requested, “Please promptly report the detailed execution plan, including the method of the full survey of basic academic skills, to the council.”

He also expressed the council’s intention to thoroughly inspect through the Education Committee and the Special Committee on Seoul Education Academic Improvement, while rigorously verifying the supplementary budgets of City Hall and the Office of Education, aiming to innovate the council and continuously correct flawed systems and budgets.

During this extraordinary session, starting with the opening ceremony on September 14, questions related to Seoul city administration and education administration will be conducted over three days from September 15 to September 19. From September 20 to September 27, each standing committee will review various agenda items of their respective departments and bureaus, and on the last day, September 28, a plenary session will be held to process the submitted agenda.

Opening Remarks

Respected citizens of Seoul!

Public officials including the Mayor and the Superintendent of Education!

And fellow senior and colleague council members!

In my opening address on July 4,

I declared that I would set the council straight.

We promised the citizens to reform Seoul city administration and education administration,

and to become a working council that leads policy.

For over 70 days since the opening, together with fellow council members,

we have devoted ourselves to normalizing the abnormal,

and have made relentless efforts to lay the foundation for change.

I report this first.

The 314th extraordinary session opening today

is held ahead of this year’s administrative audit and next year’s budget review.

The key themes of this session are ‘field-first’ and ‘people’s livelihood priority.’

Each standing committee will visit frontline sites of the executive agencies

to inspect and receive reports.

This is a very timely and proper operational plan.

The council is not a critic on a podium.

The reality we face is neither a deep mountain valley blooming with lilies,

nor a beach adorned with abundant roses.

The reality we must embrace is closer to a muddy field overflowing with muddy water due to heavy rain,

where one’s feet get stuck.

We stand at the site of life politics that overcomes fractured interests and limited resources,

to improve citizens’ lives.

The council must never be detached from the field, even for a moment.

We must directly see, hear, and feel,

and carefully refine policies.

And on top of that, we must sharpen the blade of checks and balances.

All council members experienced and empathized at the recent flood disaster site and set a new milestone.

The disaster site caused by concentrated heavy rain clearly proved that the victims of wrong policies

are directly the citizens.

The neglect of flood control measures such as the construction of a deep tunnel

resulted in a tragic and devastating situation.

It was a site of dereliction of duty itself.

I hope that the valuable cases and experiences found on-site during the session

will lead to remarkable results in the administrative audit and budget review.

Respected senior and fellow council members!

The final decision-maker of policy is the council.

It is never the Mayor or the Superintendent of Education.

This is because ordinances and budgets are created and finalized by the council.

Among the emergency measures taken during the recent flood,

there were some immature and insufficient housing policies.

We must remember the wise saying, “More haste, less speed.”

In the future, please respect the council’s filtering and decision-making functions.

This method can guarantee trust in policy.

This session will present major livelihood agenda items such as the “Ordinance to abolish tax support for traffic broadcasting”

and the “Taxi fare increase proposal,”

and urgent policy issues such as incinerator construction will be discussed.

Respecting the will of taxpayers, the citizens, is the council’s duty.

We must fiercely debate and discuss in depth

to clearly understand and prove what constitutes people’s livelihood and the role of the council representing citizens.

Currently, citizens’ voices are erupting before the council. Conversely, the field has come running to the council.

The council should go to the citizens; it is never desirable for citizens to seek the council.

We must listen more faithfully, humbly, and carefully. This is the council’s role and mission.

Proper public education

is the most core livelihood issue that the vast majority of citizens desire.

Our council has allocated a budget in the supplementary budget

to reduce students with basic academic deficiencies,

and the Superintendent of Education has ‘agreed’ here today.

Basic academic skills are

the minimum fortress and weapon to protect one’s own human rights.

Ensuring that all our children acquire basic academic skills

is the responsibility of public education.

Seoul education has been very negligent of this basic responsibility. We must reflect on this.

It is urgently required to boldly move away from conducting a 3% sample survey

to a full survey.

The Superintendent of Education immediately recognized the direction of our 11th council

and made the decision of ‘agreement.’

It must be executed responsibly.

Please promptly report the detailed execution plan, including the method of the full survey of basic academic skills,

to the council.

At the same time, the council must also thoroughly inspect through the Education Committee and the Special Committee on Seoul Education Academic Improvement.

Respected senior and fellow council members!

We must never lose our original intention.

We must thoroughly inspect and verify the supplementary budgets of City Hall and the Office of Education approved by the council.

We must innovate the council,

and continuously correct and eliminate misguided systems and budgets latent in city administration and education administration.

This is the solemn command of the citizens.

It is said, “Those who follow the current prosper, those who go against it perish.”

Also, “The will of the people is the true heaven.”

When the council, City Hall, and the Office of Education breathe with the will of the people,

and are always together with the livelihood sites,

we will have the favorable wind of citizens’ support.

On the other hand, if we do not uphold the will of the people and people’s livelihood,

we will face the headwind of citizens’ criticism.

We must be cautious together and strive together.

Thank you.

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