Suwon City's Eighth Popular Election Resident Autonomy Councils to Undergo Groundbreaking Changes

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The Suwon City Resident Autonomy Committee Chairpersons Council held the '2nd Regular Meeting of 2022' on the 11th at the Suwon City Hall conference room to discuss measures for activating resident autonomy in the eighth popular election period.

The meeting was attended by Suwon Special-Status City Mayor Yi Jae-jun, Resident Autonomy Committee Chairpersons Council Chairman Jung Chan-hae, and resident autonomy council chairpersons and committee members from 44 dongs.

As measures to activate resident autonomy in the eighth popular election period, discussions included ▲changes to the citizen participation budget project operating system ▲establishing a single system for village community resident proposal contest projects ▲operating 'village autonomy support managers' (tentative name) to support village autonomy planning ▲promoting resident autonomy capacity-building programs.

Suwon City plans to strengthen village autonomy rights and implement 'grassroots village autonomy' by establishing a support system that enables local residents to independently solve village problems and establish and implement village development plans.

Additionally, Suwon City plans to integrate the dual village community contest project implementation system managed by Suwon City's Decentralization Division and Suwon Urban Foundation's Village Autonomy Support Center.

Furthermore, Suwon City plans to operate 'village autonomy support managers' (tentative name) with high understanding of village autonomy to support village autonomy plan establishment, resident autonomy council operation consulting, and village community contest project management.

Suwon City enacted the 'Ordinance on the Installation and Management of Suwon City Resident Autonomy Councils and Resident Autonomy Centers,' promulgated on December 31 of last year, and is promoting the transition of resident autonomy committees to resident autonomy councils.

As of August 1st, 24 out of 44 dongs have transitioned to resident autonomy councils, with 20 dongs currently in the process of transitioning.

Resident Autonomy Committee Chairpersons Council Chairman Jung Chan-hae stated, "So that Suwon City's administrative and financial support for activating resident autonomy can lead to village development, the resident autonomy councils will drive resident participation and village transformation."

Mayor Yi Jae-jun said, "The essence of resident autonomy councils is to lay the foundation for advancing toward substantive direct democracy," and added, "We are envisioning a direct democracy platform that allows many citizens to participate in decision-making processes online using mobile phones."

He further urged, "We hope resident autonomy councils will play a role so that Suwon City can become a 'citizen special-status city' and 'resident autonomy special-status city'."

Meanwhile, resident autonomy councils are resident autonomy organizations established in dongs that play a role in strengthening residents' autonomous activities. They have expanded the authority of existing resident autonomy committees' resident autonomy functions to enable them to serve as substantive resident consultation bodies.