Mayor Yeom Tae-young: "Enact and Amend Laws, Push for Decentralization Constitutional Reform Swiftly"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] The joint leadership of the National Association of Mayors, County Governors and District Chiefs (Chairman Yeom Tae-young, Mayor of Suwon) paid a courtesy visit to National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on the morning of the 29th in the Speaker's reception room.

The leadership urged Speaker Moon to pass legislation including the swift approval of the ‘Full Revision of the Local Autonomy Act’ currently pending in the National Assembly and fiscal decentralization centered on grassroots local governments.

They also called for renewed efforts on a ‘decentralization constitutional amendment’—which was promoted during the last presidential election but has recently seen shrinking discussion—in order to more firmly guarantee autonomy and decentralization for cities, counties and districts.

In addition, they delivered the ‘Five-Point Declaration for Overcoming the Crisis of Grassroots Local Governments,’ which the leadership announced this past July, to the National Assembly Speaker and explained its contents.

Chairman Yeom Tae-young stated, “Currently, the tasks for advancing autonomy and decentralization are being carried out with a focus on cities and provinces. Frontline cities, counties and districts view this as a very serious problem.” He added, “I urged the National Assembly Speaker to swiftly push forward the enactment and amendment of various laws for grassroots autonomy and decentralization, and furthermore a decentralization constitutional amendment.”