Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk, "Decentralization Constitutional Amendment is a Timely Task... Must be Pursued Regardless of Political Situation"

National Conference for Decentralization Held
Announced at the 'Decentralization Constitutional Amendment Forum'

The National Conference for Decentralization visited Gyeongbuk on the 25th to hold the 'National Conference for Decentralization Decentralization Constitutional Amendment Forum.' Amid recent calls for decentralization constitutional amendments led by prominent politicians, it is highly significant that discussions on decentralization constitutional amendments led by local governments and citizens began first in Gyeongbuk Province.

The National Conference for Decentralization, which hosted the forum, is an organization launched in 2019 by uniting decentralization movement groups from each city and province to realize substantial local autonomy through decentralization. It actively promotes decentralization movements centered on sovereign citizens and resident-led regional revitalization efforts.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk

The forum was attended by Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Kim Joo-soo, chairman of the Gyeongbuk Mayors and County Governors Association (Mayor of Uiseong County), Lee Dong-hyup, chairman of the Gyeongbuk City and County Council Chairpersons Association (Chairman of Gyeongju City Council), Yoo Min-bong, Secretary-General of the Korea Association of Governors, and Lee Chang-yong, Standing Representative of the National Conference for Decentralization, along with over 60 regional representatives and members, forming a consensus on the necessity of decentralization constitutional amendments.

Lee Chang-yong, Co-Standing Representative of the National Conference for Decentralization, stated, “We are well aware that Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk has extensive experience in both the central political stage and local administration and has worked hard for decentralization. In particular, his aim to secure autonomy rights at the federal level through the integration of metropolitan cities and provinces aligns closely with the goals of our National Conference for Decentralization.” He explained the background for starting the forum first in Gyeongbuk and appointing Governor Lee Cheol-woo as an advisor.

In fact, as a member of the National Assembly, Governor Lee Cheol-woo protested alone in 2017 against the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, demanding a constitutional amendment to reform the presidential system and strengthen local government authority.

After taking office as Governor of Gyeongbuk, he initiated discussions on the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as part of decentralization and established the first-ever Local Era Policy Bureau to develop various policies aimed at realizing the local era. As chairman of the Korea Association of Governors, he elevated the Central-Local Cooperation Council to the level of a second Cabinet meeting, striving to establish a horizontal relationship between the central and local governments.

The National Conference for Decentralization diagnosed that “the current centralized national governance system fails to solve the pressing issues our society faces, such as concentration in the metropolitan area, local extinction, population cliff, polarization, and political conflicts,” and stated, “We must innovate the national governance system and promote regional development through decentralization constitutional amendments.” Specifically, they argued that “it is necessary to drastically transfer legislative power through the delegation of law-making authority and the introduction of a citizen initiative system,” adopting a declaration to promote such decentralization constitutional amendments.

In the subsequent special lecture by Governor Lee Cheol-woo, keynote presentation by Co-Representative Lee Chang-yong, and discussions, concrete measures for decentralization constitutional amendments were proposed.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo explained, “Decentralization at the federal level was also a promise between President Yoon and Gyeongbuk at last year’s livelihood forum. In the current situation where the central government is paralyzed, local governments must take the lead and do what they can.” He emphasized that decentralization is essential for Korea to leap beyond advanced countries and become a top-tier nation.

Yoo Min-bong, Secretary-General of the Korea Association of Governors, said, “The 1987 Constitution does not reflect the social changes of the times, so there is consensus on the need for constitutional amendment. For decentralization constitutional amendments, strategic approaches and considerations on appropriate local government sizes are necessary.”

Additionally, academics and civic group participants supporting decentralization constitutional amendments from various regions presented diverse opinions and engaged in heated discussions.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo emphasized, “Power decentralization, especially decentralization constitutional amendments, is a task of the times that must be pursued regardless of political circumstances, and the main actors should be local governments and regional residents.” He added, “I will do my best to open a true local era and a new Republic of Korea together with the people.”

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