Yongin City Gets Green Light for Special Authority Through Local Decentralization Act

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] The revised Local Decentralization Act containing administrative authorities for special cities has passed through the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, signaling a green light for Yongin City to secure substantial special authorities.

On the 11th, Yongin City announced its support for the passage of the "Partial Revision of the Special Act on Local Autonomy Decentralization and Local Administrative System Reform" through the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee.

According to the city, the revised Local Decentralization Act, which passed the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 9th, contains a total of 6 special administrative matters and 121 related unit tasks to be transferred to special cities, including ▲composition and operation of local construction technology deliberation committees ▲logistics complex development and operation ▲conversion of forestland permits ▲environmental improvement contribution affairs ▲development and operation of locally-managed trade port facilities ▲management of shared water surface in locally-managed trade port areas.

The bill was submitted to the National Assembly through joint sponsorship by four special cities' lawmakers on November 10 of last year, but encountered difficulties in clearing the Public Administration and Security Committee.

In response, Mayor Baek Kun-gi and the mayors of the four special cities coordinated closely around the National Council of Special City Mayors, holding discussions with lawmakers, and as the revised Local Decentralization Act passed the Public Administration and Security Committee, they achieved progress in taking another step toward securing special authorities.

The bill will undergo review by the Legislative and Judicial Committee before being placed on the National Assembly plenary agenda.

The city expects that once the special administrative matters are transferred through plenary passage, large-scale projects can be promoted more efficiently.

In particular, for large-scale construction projects exceeding 1 billion won that previously had to go through the Gyeonggi Province Construction Technology Deliberation Committee, Yongin City will be able to establish autonomous plans, and deliberation periods are expected to be shortened by approximately two months, accelerating project implementation.

For logistics complex development projects that previously required approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Gyeonggi Province Governor, licensing and permit procedures will be simplified, which is expected to have significant ripple effects on establishing policies suited to local conditions and revitalizing the regional economy through logistics complex development.

The city plans to request full-scale support from the political community along with the National Council of Special City Mayors to ensure the revised Local Decentralization Act passes the plenary session without issues.

Additionally, to secure administrative and fiscal authorities commensurate with special city scale, the city plans to pursue the enactment of the third comprehensive local transfer law reflecting transferred administrative matters for special cities and the enactment of a special act on support for special cities.

Mayor Baek Kun-gi of Yongin City said, "We have finally taken the first step with the revision of the Local Decentralization Act. There are still many tasks to be completed to secure administrative and fiscal authorities befitting special cities," adding, "I will exert all efforts in the remaining procedures including plenary passage so that 1.1 million residents of Yongin Special City can receive the services they rightfully deserve."