On February 10th, Im Mi-ae, a Democratic Party representative and chair of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Party, argued that the most pressing political reform task is to establish checks and balances against the expansive integrated administrative government, emphasizing the necessity of reforming local council systems.
During a legislative hearing on the Integrated Administrative Special Act held the previous day, numerous participants voiced the need for mechanisms to oversee the considerable powers that would be transferred to the integrated special city government from the central authorities.
Previously, Im had advocated for a governance structure that not only enhances the authority and finances of the integrated special city but also bolsters resident representation and participation to counterbalance its substantial power, thereby supporting local council reform.
Im expressed concerns about potential negative consequences if an integrated local government is formed without proper checks and balances. She stressed the importance of building governance based on community trust to facilitate social consensus, proposing a framework where cities, counties, districts, residents, experts, and stakeholders can transparently discuss issues, deliberate, and influence policy decisions.
Im viewed positively the emerging calls for reforming the local council election system as administrative integration gains momentum. She noted growing agreement that the current council structure is inadequate to effectively oversee the extensive administrative power of the integrated special city.
She highlighted that yesterday’s legislative hearing raised the need for improvements to ensure proportionality and diversity in the integrated special city council. Im emphasized that even if the Integrated Special City Act passes in February, establishing governance for checks and balances and reforming council composition are crucial tasks that must accompany administrative integration.
Im cautioned against administrative integration merely resulting in larger local governments. She argued that as administrative scale increases, diversity, proportionality, and representation must be strengthened to ensure accountability in the integrated special city’s autonomy.
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