Gwangju Seo-gu Council Enacts 'Personnel Hearing Ordinance'

Published 01 Aug.2023 11:14(KST)

The Seo-gu Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City has established the basis to hold a personnel hearing, becoming the first among the five district councils in the region to do so.

Gwangju Seo-gu Council Enacts 'Personnel Hearing Ordinance'

On the 1st, the Seo-gu Council announced that the "Gwangju Metropolitan City Seo-gu Council Personnel Hearing Ordinance," proposed by the Council Steering Committee, was passed as originally proposed at the 2nd plenary session of the 313th extraordinary meeting.

Following the partial amendment of the Local Autonomy Act in March, all local councils can now establish ordinances to hold personnel hearings for heads of institutions under local governments. Accordingly, the Seo-gu Council enacted an ordinance concerning the procedures and operation of personnel hearings. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect on September 22.

The subjects of the personnel hearings include chairpersons of local public corporations and heads of investment and contribution institutions. In Seo-gu, two institutions?the Seo-gu Facilities Management Corporation and the Seo-gu Scholarship Foundation?are subject to personnel hearings.

However, effective operation of personnel hearings requires consultation between local governments and local councils. Personnel hearings can only be held upon the request of the local government head, and the results of the hearings do not have legal binding force. These limitations stem from the higher-level Local Autonomy Act.

Baek Jong-han, Chair of the Council Steering Committee, stated, "It is true that there are regrettable aspects such as the lack of legal binding force of personnel hearings due to the limitations of the higher-level law," but added, "I hope that through cooperation between the council and the executive branch, substantive personnel hearings will be conducted, establishing a fair and transparent talent recruitment process."