[Gwangju City Council 1-Year Legislative Review] Achievements Including Realizing a 'Working Council' Image

The Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Chairman Jeong Muchang) marked its first anniversary since its opening by reviewing the legislative activities of the past year and announcing future legislative directions.

The Gwangju City Council was launched last July with the goal of realizing a "participatory citizen and active council."

The 9th council, which started with a high proportion of young first-term councilors?70% first-term members and 48% aged between 20 and 40?has delivered results beyond expectations, raising citizens' expectations for the remaining three years of legislative activities.

Initially, there were concerns about whether the young first-term councilors, who made up the majority, could effectively carry out legislative activities due to lack of experience, but after one year of activities, these concerns were deemed unfounded.

Compared to the first year of the previous 8th council, the 9th council showed remarkable quantitative and qualitative achievements during the same period, including an 18% increase in the number of bills processed, a 33% increase in councilor-initiated ordinances, a 675% increase in research group meetings, a 39% increase in policy debates, a 50% increase in public institutions subject to hearings, the introduction of a 365-day continuous citizen reporting system, and the establishment of the nation’s first online abuse reporting center in a metropolitan council initiated by councilors.

▲ Implementing a ‘working council’ rooted in residents and the field

The 9th Gwangju City Council, starting with its first extraordinary session in July 2022, processed a total of 385 bills during 172 days of sessions, an 18% increase compared to the first year of the previous council, leading the way in realizing a ‘working council’ as a representative body of citizens.

Notably, among the 228 ordinances processed, 108 (47%) were initiated by councilors themselves, resulting in external recognition by winning three awards including the top prize in the organization category at the 19th Local Council Excellent Ordinance evaluation hosted by the Korean Local Autonomy Association.

Furthermore, by directly visiting 77 project sites such as the First Sewage Treatment Plant, Municipal First and Second Nursing Hospitals, Jisan IC, and the Culture and Arts Center, the council fully demonstrated its role as an ‘active council working with citizens’ by reflecting voices from the field into legislative activities.

▲ Operating a ‘mature council’ balancing executive oversight and administrative support

Through administrative audits of 87 institutions including Gwangju City, the Office of Education, and affiliated organizations, the council requested correction or improvement in a total of 797 cases. It also addressed issues and proposed alternatives on major policies and current affairs through 64 administrative questions, 52 five-minute free speeches, and 2 urgent questions, striving to enhance administrative transparency and fulfill citizens’ right to know.

For key issues such as the hydrogen tram, the joint bid for the 2038 Asian Games by Gwangju and Daegu, and the consolidation of public institutions, the council boldly intervened in cases involving procedural problems or requiring public discussion, ensuring these matters were supplemented through deliberative processes.

Additionally, through the ‘Respond! 5·18’ relay five-minute speeches, the council directly criticized the attitudes of May-related organizations toward the 5·18 incident, which had been taboo, demonstrating its role as an active council.

Regarding regional development issues and contentious projects such as the designation of the Gwangju-Jeonnam semiconductor specialized complex, the relocation of Gwangju military airport, the designation of a national future car industrial complex, the inclusion of the 5·18 incident in the preamble of the constitution, and additional KTX services, the council took the lead in resolving local problems through statements and visits to institutions.

▲ Greatly expanding opportunities and channels for citizen participation in legislative activities

The council newly introduced a system to accept citizen reports 365 days a year and expanded communication channels with citizens by adding a ‘free bulletin board’ on the council website and extending social media channels (Facebook, Instagram).

It also live-streams major council discussions such as plenary sessions and policy debates via YouTube and the internet, and operates various channels for citizens to directly experience and participate in the council, including attending sessions, council tours, mock council experiences, and legislative monitoring activities.

▲ Establishing a new council culture of studying and working

With the launch of the 9th council, six councilor research groups were formed, including the ‘Gwangju City Administration Development Councilor Research Group,’ ‘Artificial Intelligence and Semiconductor Councilor Research Group,’ and ‘Urban Planning Councilor Research Group,’ resulting in a more than 600% increase in the number of research group meetings compared to the first year of the 8th council, transforming the council culture into one of ‘studying and working.’

By activating policy networks involving external experts (5 divisions, 22 meetings) and policy debates (57 meetings) to seek reasonable alternatives on major issues, the council has also devoted itself to citizen-participatory policy development and alternative discovery more than any previous council.

▲ Significantly expanding institutions subject to personnel hearings and strengthening transparency in public institution personnel

Since the launch of the 9th council, personnel hearings have been conducted for four heads of affiliated institutions, including the chairman of the Gwangju Environment Corporation, to secure work innovation and personnel transparency in city-affiliated institutions.

On the 22nd, the council chairman and the mayor signed a personnel hearing agreement to expand the number of institutions subject to personnel hearings from 8 to 12, raising the ratio of institutions subject to personnel hearings among public institutions to the highest nationwide at 60%.

▲ Realizing a council culture of internal communication and innovation

To enhance communication among council members, regular monthly assemblies and monthly meetings for all councilors were introduced and established. In December last year, the council initiated the ‘Ordinance on Eradicating Abuse by Gwangju Metropolitan Council Members and Officials and Protecting Victims,’ becoming the first metropolitan council in the nation to operate an ‘online abuse reporting center,’ actively promoting council innovation efforts.

Chairman Jeong Muchang stated, “The 9th Gwangju Metropolitan Council has actively practiced a council that learns, researches, and acts over the past year, achieving many accomplishments,”

and added, “In the remaining three years, we will remain true to our original intentions, faithfully performing the council’s fundamental role of checking and cooperating with the executive branch, while making greater efforts to realize an ‘open council’ that communicates with citizens.”

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