Jo Incheol: "Local Governments Can Provide Budget Support for Resident Autonomy Councils"

Proposed Amendment to the "Special Act on Decentralization and Balanced Regional Development"

Jo Incheol, Member of the National Assembly.

Jo Incheol, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), announced on the 18th that he has proposed a revision to the "Special Act on Decentralization and Balanced Regional Development," which establishes a legal basis for the national and local governments to provide budgetary support to residents' autonomy councils.

The current law allows for the establishment of residents' autonomy councils in towns, townships, and neighborhoods, but lacks a legal basis for providing the necessary budget for their actual operation. As a result, the operation of these councils has remained largely nominal, failing to fulfill their original functions.

If the proposed revision is implemented, it is expected that local and metropolitan governments will be able to provide budgetary support to residents' autonomy councils, thereby realizing a form of local governance led directly by the residents themselves.

Jo emphasized, "Residents' autonomy councils are the core of grassroots democracy," and added, "Through this revision, we will spare no effort to provide the necessary support so that these councils can become a cornerstone of local governance."

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