Four Metropolitan Cities Launch Public Discourse on 'Special Cities Special Act'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Chung Jun-sung] The Republic of Korea Special Cities Mayors Council (representing chairman Yongin Special City Mayor Lee Sang-il, hereinafter the Council) held its "2022 First Interim Meeting" on the 29th at Jinhae Marine Park in Changwon, Gyeongnam Province, attended by the mayors of Goyang, Suwon, Yongin, and Changwon Special Cities.

At today's meeting held to discuss strategies for public discourse on the enactment of the Special Cities Special Act, the four cities reached consensus that the enactment of a 'Special Cities Special Act' is necessary as a foundation for implementing the special cities system stably and efficiently—establishing the legal status of special cities and acquiring administrative and financial authority commensurate with metropolitan-level demands.

Accordingly, the Council decided to proceed with a policy discussion forum in January to February of next year, with participation from related organizations including local National Assembly members, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and municipal research institutes.

Furthermore, as the basic research on the Special Cities Support Special Act conducted by the Council of Metropolitan Cities Research Institutes (municipal research institutes of Goyang, Suwon, Yongin, and Changwon), which began last June, has been completed, the four special city mayors agreed to share the final research results and key findings.

Lee Sang-il, Yongin Special City Mayor and representing chairman, stated, "For the discussion forum to proceed substantively, the framework of the Special Cities Special Act must be established," and urged, "I hope the municipal research institutes of the four cities will continue to operate their collaboration system and lay solid groundwork for the bills necessary to secure administrative and financial authority for special cities."

He continued, "Although there is still a long way ahead for special cities, let us continue to unite our strength and wisdom as four cities to secure substantive authority," he emphasized.