Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee Launches...Mayor Yeom Tae-young Elected as Chair

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Hong Sung-gil] The 'Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee,' which will reestablish the welfare business domains between central and local governments and review local governments' cash welfare policies, launched on the 4th.

The Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee held its launching ceremony on this day at the KTX Cheonan-Asan Station conference room in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, electing Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young as chair and Seoul Seongdong-gu District Chief Jung Won-o as secretary.

Mayor Yeom said, "If cash-based welfare from basic local governments increases, it can deteriorate local government finances," adding "We will investigate cash-based welfare across all local governments nationwide and verify its effectiveness."

He continued, "I will regard the activities of the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee as the most important task of the Korea Association of Mayors and Governors and will actively promote it."

In its launching declaration, the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee stated, "Basic municipal leaders agree on the need to rationally reestablish the welfare finance and administrative roles between the central government and local governments, and will unite their strength to promote the 'national welfare grand compromise.'"

It further said, "Local governments will discover and provide welfare services that reflect residents' demands and regional characteristics, realizing 'differences without discrimination' by region, and build an advanced welfare state. We will research and discuss together necessary institutional improvement measures to rationally allocate welfare finance and administrative affairs among central, metropolitan, and basic governments."

It added, "The national welfare grand compromise can succeed only when the central government and local governments nationwide cooperate and implement it together. We urge all related stakeholders in both central and local spheres to feel a sense of responsibility and participate in the national welfare grand compromise."

The Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee under the Korea Association of Mayors and Governors (Chair Mayor Yeom Tae-young of Suwon) will serve to discuss the division of welfare responsibilities between the central government and local governments.

It will also investigate the status of local government cash welfare, analyze performance, and establish 'recommendations for adjusting cash-based welfare policies.' As of the 4th, 169 out of 226 basic local governments nationwide have expressed their intention to participate in the special committee. The number of participating local governments is expected to grow.

The special committee is composed of members, standing members, and advisory members. All basic municipal leaders who submitted participation consent forms are members. Standing members are composed of basic municipal leaders by region (one or more per region).

There are 20 standing members: 8 from the Seoul metropolitan region, 4 from the central region, 3 from the Honam region, and 5 from the Yeongnam region. Standing members deliberate on major matters and exercise voting rights upon delegation from the co-chair group.

The advisory panel consists of approximately 20 experts in the welfare, finance, and conflict resolution fields. The special committee plans to include advisory panel members and civil representatives in the committee to draw social consensus.

The Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee began as multiple basic municipal leaders formed a consensus, saying "Local government finances are deteriorating due to cash-based welfare implemented separately by local governments."

The Korea Association of Mayors and Governors decided to establish the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee at its general meeting in April, and on May 27, established the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee Preparatory Committee with Mayor Yeom Tae-young as chair to prepare for the committee's launch. The Korea Association of Mayors and Governors held a co-chair meeting on June 12 and approved the special committee's launching plan.