Ministry of the Interior and Safety Launches Advisory Committee to Reform 'Outdated Local Administration'...

'Future-Oriented Administrative System Reform Advisory Committee' Launches on 13th
Agenda Expected to Include Local Government Integration and Introduction of Resident Population

The work to reform the outdated administrative system, including integration between local governments, will be in full swing. The government plans to draft recommendations through expert consultations and public opinion gathering, and based on these, proceed with adjustments to the local administrative system.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 13th that the "Future-Oriented Administrative System Reform Advisory Committee" (Future Committee) has been launched to review new development directions for the local administrative system in response to the rapidly changing administrative environment.

The Future Committee was formed as an expert advisory committee at the government level to explore directions for administrative system reform on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of elected local autonomy. After about six months of operation, the committee will undergo expert consultations, followed by social public discussions and collection of regional opinions. Although the administrative environment has drastically changed since the launch of the elected local autonomy system in July 1995, the administrative system has not undergone corresponding changes, which has been evaluated to cause inconvenience to residents and a decline in regional competitiveness. In response, some local governments, such as Gunwi-gun in Gyeongbuk Province integrating into Daegu City, have independently pursued administrative system reforms.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that the committee's composition breaks away from the traditional approach of mainly local administration experts. In addition to local administration experts, 15 private experts from various fields such as population, future studies, regional development, and digital technology were appointed to design directions from a broad perspective, including demographic changes, regional balanced development, and IT technology advancement. Especially, to proactively reflect the voices of local residents, four members recommended by the four major local government councils?the Council of Provincial Governors, the Council of Mayors, County Heads, and District Heads, the Council of Provincial Council Chairpersons, and the Council of City, County, and District Council Chairpersons?were included. From the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Vice Minister, Deputy Minister, and Director General of Local Finance and Economy participate as government members.

The Future Committee is expected to focus on major agendas such as integration between local governments, changes in jurisdictional boundaries, and the introduction of the concept of living population. The committee will first set the basic direction related to administrative system reform, identify key tasks, gather regional opinions, and finally prepare the "Future-Oriented Administrative System Reform Recommendations." Once the recommendations are prepared, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will review them internally and then establish implementation plans through the formation of a government-wide task force.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said, "Since administrative system reform involves countless institutions and complex interests, sufficient public discussion and social consensus are necessary," adding, "I hope the launch of this committee will be a historic first step in administrative system reform."

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