Yongin Mayor Baek Kun-ki: "Despite Metropolitan-level City Size, Must Secure More Special Administrative Affairs"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Yongin City is making full efforts to establish a substantive special city.

Four special cities—Yongin, Suwon, Goyang, and Changwon—have so far secured a total of 8 functions and 141 unit administrative affairs, including composition and operation of local construction technology deliberation committees, affairs related to environmental improvement burden charges, designation and evaluation of tourism special districts, and development and operation of logistics complexes.

The city plans to pursue organization restructuring, enactment and revision of ordinances, and research projects to ensure smooth transfer of special administrative affairs.

■ Enhancing work efficiency and increasing citizen benefits

Special administrative affairs to be transferred to the special city include ▲composition and operation of local construction technology deliberation committees ▲forestland conversion permits ▲affairs related to environmental improvement burden charges ▲development and operation of logistics complexes ▲development and operation of port facilities at local management trade ports ▲management of public waters within local management trade port harbor areas ▲registration, deregistration, and support of non-profit private organizations ▲designation and evaluation of tourism special districts.

Particularly, with the transfer of affairs related to composition and operation of local construction technology deliberation committees, the city can now compose its own construction deliberation committee, enabling autonomous promotion of large-scale projects and reducing deliberation periods by up to approximately two months.

Additionally, with the transfer of affairs related to environmental improvement burden charges, the city will secure additional environmental improvement burden charge collection and distribution funds, which is expected to help expand environmental improvement projects such as slate disposal and roof improvement support and household low-NOx boiler support programs.

Previously, in January, the city led a revision of the notice that raised the basic property standard for social welfare benefits from 'medium-sized cities' to 'large cities.'

In the first quarter of this year, the city's welfare beneficiary targets increased by approximately 1,600 people, and the city projects that approximately 10,000 citizens will receive additional welfare benefits through continued discovery of welfare recipients.

■ Beginning advance preparations for transfer of administrative affairs

Following the recent passage through the National Assembly of the 'Partial Amendment to the Special Law on Local Autonomy Decentralization and Local Administrative System Reform,' the city will receive a total of 8 functions and 141 unit administrative affairs.

With the ability to now handle administrative affairs such as permits and licenses, project plan approvals, and project area designations that previously had to go through metropolitan autonomous bodies and central government ministries, administrative efficiency has improved and the city can pursue projects suited to its urban characteristics.

Accordingly, the city plans to pursue personnel recruitment and deployment, enactment and revision of related ordinances, and composition of various committees over the approximately one year remaining until the law takes effect to ensure smooth transfer of special administrative affairs.

Working departments including the Transportation Policy Division, Construction Policy Division, Forestry Division, Climate and Energy Division, and Local Autonomy and Decentralization Division are preparing for takeover and practical training of transferred duties, while support departments including the Policy Planning Office and Personnel Management Division are drawing up organization restructuring plans and personnel deployment measures for expanded operations.

Additionally, the Council of Special City Mayors of the Republic of Korea, composed of Yongin Mayor Baek Kun-ki and mayors of the other three special cities, plans to analyze the personnel and finances required for transferred special administrative affairs through research projects and, based on this, make recommendations to relevant government departments for personnel recruitment and financial expansion.

The city will also continue to request government-level cooperation, including enactment of a special law on support for special cities and establishment of dedicated organizations at central government ministries, to secure additional special administrative affairs.

Mayor Baek Kun-ki stated, "Until now, despite Yongin being a metropolitan-level city in size, we have faced difficulties responding to increasing administrative demands with autonomous administrative authority at the same level as basic local governments with populations of 30,000 to 100,000," and "We will continue to secure more special administrative affairs and expand discretionary authority to enhance citizen convenience and improve urban competitiveness."