Gwangju City Council Reduces Budget Committee Members from 9 to 8

New Committee Members to Be Appointed at One-Point Meeting on August 14
Attempt to Resolve Internal Conflicts... Reform Measures Also Prepared

A view of Gwangju City Council.

The Gwangju City Council has decided to reduce the number of members on the Budget and Accounts Committee (Budget Committee) from nine to eight. This measure was taken in consideration of internal conflicts and the complexity of the selection process. The council plans to finalize the new committee composition through a one-point meeting scheduled for August 14.

On August 11, Council Chair Shin Sujeong told reporters, "As a result of discussions among the council leadership and standing committee chairs, we will hold a one-point meeting on August 14 to adjust the number of Budget Committee members from nine to eight and appoint the next committee members."

This decision is seen as a temporary solution to resolve the recent internal conflicts that have emerged during the Budget Committee member selection process. Each standing committee will recommend two members to form the committee, and the chair's right to recommend will be relinquished for the sake of fairness.

The city council also plans to introduce reforms aimed at increasing the transparency of the Budget Committee's operations, including measures to prevent "note budget" allocations and indiscriminate increases or cuts to the budget.

Attention is also focused on how to handle the ten council members who have been referred to the Democratic Party's Ethics Tribunal. The tribunal is currently reviewing documents, and it is unlikely that a final decision will be reached before the Budget Committee members are appointed on August 14.

In the case of the Administrative and Autonomy Committee, two out of five members have resigned and two have been referred to the Ethics Tribunal, making it virtually impossible to form the committee. In particular, council member Seo Imseok, who is known to have been nominated as the chair of the fourth Budget Committee, is drawing attention regarding his future course.

Park Sugi, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said, "Due to the council schedule, we must complete the formation of the Budget Committee by August 14," adding, "The timing of disciplinary actions by the Ethics Tribunal will be decided in consultation at the party level."

Meanwhile, the reduction in the number of Budget Committee members and the appointment of new members are seen as emergency measures aimed at resolving internal conflicts within the city council and improving operational efficiency in the future.

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