Local Governments for Decentralization Council Holds Inaugural General Assembly… Kim Yun-sik Elected First Chairman

The 'Local Governments for Decentralization Council,' composed of local governments united in realizing local autonomy, has taken its first step.

Mayors, county governors, and district office heads from 23 local governments across the nation held an inaugural general assembly on the 22nd at the Siheung ABC Happy Learning Town in Siheung City and officially launched the organization.

On this day, the council adopted a statement of commitment to △urge the central government to improve laws and systems related to local decentralization △discover and cultivate leaders who understand the role of local governments △conduct joint research related to local autonomy and decentralization △improve residents' lives through local self-governance and other resolutions.

Major projects to be pursued collaboratively include promoting the discovery and cultivation of local decentralization workers, conducting research on forming and spreading understanding of local decentralization, establishing the direction of local government development, and strengthening cooperation between local governments.

Kim Yun-sik, Siheung City Mayor, who was elected as the inaugural chairman on this day, stated, "Local decentralization is now an unstoppable tide of the times," and added, "In that sense, the launch of the Local Governments for Decentralization Council is all the more moving and places a heavy responsibility on us."

Meanwhile, the local governments participating in the council are from Gyeonggi Province (Gwangmyeong City, Gimpo City, Bucheon City, Suwon City, Siheung City, Ansan City, Anyang City, Yangpyeong County, Osan City), Gwangju (Gwangsan-gu), Daejeon (Seo-gu, Yuseong-gu), Seoul (Gangdong-gu, Geumcheon-gu, Nowon-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Eunpyeong-gu), Incheon (Gyeyang-gu, Nam-gu, Bupyeong-gu), North Jeolla Province (Wanju County), and South Chungcheong Province (Nonsan City).