Kim Hyun-gi: "17 City and Provincial Councils United as One Team for 2030 Busan World Expo Bid"

Published 12 Apr.2023 11:05(KST)

April 10: The 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Korea Council of Chairs of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils in 2023 Held

Chairman Kim Urges Full Efforts to Promote Friendly and Sister Cities Worldwide for the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid

Ten Agenda Items Including Calls for System Improvements to Prevent Sudden Acceleration Accidents in Automobiles Approved as Originally Proposed and Recommended to the Government

Chairman Kim Hyun-gi: “Let’s Meet the Expectations of City and Provincial Residents through Responsible and Transparent Activities of Local Councils”

Kim Hyun-gi, Chairman of the Korea Council of Chairs of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils and Chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, called on the chairpersons of the 17 metropolitan and provincial councils gathered in one place to become the 2030 Busan World Expo bidding team and to make every effort.

Chairman Kim made these remarks at the 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Korea Council of Chairs of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils held on April 10 in Daejeon, sharing the results of the 4th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held on April 6.

Chairman Kim said, “At the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting, the four major local councils, including the Council of Chairs of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils, made a joint resolution to succeed in the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. From now on, the 17 metropolitan and provincial councils, together with the executive bodies, should focus all efforts on promotion through sending letters and visits to friendly and sister cities around the world.”

He also urged securing the necessary budget for the executive bodies’ efforts to attract the Busan World Expo and simultaneously strengthening institutional arrangements.

Kim Hyun-gi: "17 City and Provincial Councils United as One Team for 2030 Busan World Expo Bid"

Earlier, through a joint resolution by the four major local councils on April 6, they pledged to work on ▲creating a nationwide boom atmosphere ▲concentrating diplomatic capabilities to gain support from member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) ▲efforts for balanced national development and success in the local era ▲creating new cooperation models between local and central governments.

The World Expo is considered one of the three major global mega-events alongside the World Cup and the Olympics. It is the economic and cultural Olympics showcasing the host country’s capabilities and is the largest international event with significant economic, cultural, and diplomatic influence. The host country will be decided by a vote of 171 member countries at the 173rd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions scheduled for the end of November.

At the extraordinary meeting, a total of 10 agenda items were submitted and approved as originally proposed.

Chairman Kim personally submitted the “Proposal to Urge Amendment of Laws on Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Marine Products,” which excessively restricts the authority of local governments, and the “Proposal to Urge System Improvements to Prevent Sudden Acceleration Accidents in Automobiles.”

The former calls for transferring the authority to designate and evaluate wholesale market corporations from the central government to local governments and urges reducing the scope of work regulations or abolishing the requirement for ministerial approval when changing central wholesale market work regulations, which currently excessively restrict local government authority under the current agricultural product laws.

The proposal to urge system improvements to prevent sudden acceleration accidents in automobiles includes provisions for government-led investigations and placing the burden of proof on manufacturers.

Other proposals adopted and to be recommended to the government include ▲the enactment of the Basic Act on the Korean Beef Industry to stabilize the Korean beef industry ▲expansion of electric vehicles for children’s school buses ▲establishment and operation of organizations to promote the fulfillment of local council members’ pledges ▲urging the enactment of partial amendments to the Public Audit Act for the establishment of local council’s own audit organizations ▲introduction of regional differential electricity rates ▲improvements to the crop disaster compensation system ▲improvements to the electricity rate system for agriculture and fisheries ▲and urging the National Assembly to pass the Jeju 4·3 Special Act.

Chairman Kim Hyun-gi said, “If local councils respond to the expectations of city and provincial residents through responsible and transparent activities, more authority and policy support will be possible,” and urged “all members of the metropolitan and provincial councils to continuously strive and actively engage with the heavy sense of mission to serve the people.”