Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il: "Legislation for Special Metropolitan City Support Act Must Be Enacted Swiftly"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Gi-ho] On the 12th, Yongin Special Metropolitan City Mayor Lee Sang-il emphasized that five special metropolitan cities, including Yongin, must actively explain their positions and request support from the Presidential Office, the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Safety, and both ruling and opposition parties to enact the "Special Metropolitan City Support Act," grant legal status befitting the status of special metropolitan cities, and secure financial authority.

The mayor made these remarks at the "Republic of Korea Special Metropolitan City Mayors Council 2025 First Half Regular Meeting" held at Marina Clubhouse in Jungok Port, Hwaseong City on the afternoon of that day.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Lee, Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun, Goyang Mayor Lee Dong-hwan, Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and Chang Geum-yong, Acting City Governor of Changwon. With Hwaseong City's elevation to special metropolitan city status this year, Hwaseong Special Metropolitan City officially participated in the Republic of Korea Special Metropolitan City Mayors Council meeting for the first time this year.

Mayor Lee Sang-il stated, "In order to implement better administration for the citizens of five special metropolitan cities, including Yongin, we must secure necessary authority through the enactment of the 'Special Metropolitan City Support Act,'" and emphasized, "Special metropolitan cities must secure formal legal status, not just in name, and we must achieve financial authority through the enactment of the special act, such as having special metropolitan cities receive a certain percentage of acquisition tax transfer and raising adjustment grants."

The mayor said, "Currently, more than 1,200 bills are pending in the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Safety. For the swift enactment of the special metropolitan city support special act, it is necessary to promptly confirm a schedule for meetings and public hearings with the Committee on Administration and Safety, and we need to deliver a petition that special metropolitan cities will present to the Minister of Interior and Safety to the President's Political Senior Secretary, floor leaders of each party, the chair of the Committee on Administration and Safety, floor coordinators of both ruling and opposition parties on the Committee on Administration and Safety, and the Prime Minister's Office Coordination Division."

Mayor Lee and other special metropolitan city mayors signed a petition to be sent to the Minister of Interior and Safety at the meeting.

The petition included contents such as enactment of the "Special Metropolitan City Support Act" containing △securing legal status of special metropolitan cities △financial special provisions befitting expanded administrative functions of special metropolitan cities △substantial transfer of affairs to special metropolitan cities.

Mayor Lee Sang-il and others requested that Article 2, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the "Local Autonomy Act" be amended to specify "special metropolitan cities" as an independent type of local autonomous entity, distinguished from "cities, counties, and districts," as "special metropolitan cities, cities, counties, and districts."

They also demanded that a practical financial support foundation be established through raising the source of adjustment grant allocation (47%→67%) and raising the collection transfer grant (3%→10%).

The petition stated, "The current 'Local Autonomy Act' and related ordinances only grant special metropolitan cities a name but lack substantial authority transfer and administrative and financial support, limiting the effectiveness of the special metropolitan city system," and emphasized, "For special metropolitan cities to realize resident-centered autonomous administration and lead regional development, legal status recognition and financial and institutional support must be accompanied."

Meanwhile, the special metropolitan city mayors council accepted Mayor Lee Sang-il's opinion and decided to prepare another petition urging swift enactment of the "Special Metropolitan City Support Act" and additionally send it to the Presidential Office, the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Safety, floor leaders of ruling and opposition parties, and the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, discussions included △election of chairman and auditor of the Republic of Korea Special Metropolitan City Mayors Council △deliberation on 2025-2026 business plans and budget proposals △promotion of meetings with the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Safety △delivery of petitions for enactment of the Special Metropolitan City Support Act △promotion of citizen participation campaigns for special act enactment △plans to promote meetings with the Republic of Korea Special Metropolitan City Council Chairpersons Council.

The five special metropolitan city mayors attending the meeting decided to activate an active cooperation system for the swift enactment of the special metropolitan city support special act proposed by the government and National Assembly members.