Gyeonggi Province Assembly Speaker Nam Jong-seop Requests National Funding Support and Local Assembly Act Enactment from Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok

Nam Jong-seop, Speaker of the Gyeonggi Province Assembly (Democratic Party, Yongin District 3), requested comprehensive national funding support to overcome Gyeonggi Province's fiscal difficulties and strengthening of fiscal decentralization from the Democratic Party leadership on the 21st.

He also urged the party and the National Assembly to join forces in enacting the 'Local Assembly Act' to enable local assemblies to fulfill their proper roles as independent legislative bodies.

Speaker Nam attended the 'Gyeonggi Province-Democratic Party Budget Policy Consultation Meeting' held at the Northern Regional Government Building of Gyeonggi Province on that day. The consultation included Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok, Floor Leader Han Byung-do, Policy Committee Chairman Kwon Chil-seung, National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts Chairman Lee Gwang-jae, and Gyeonggi Provincial Party Chairman Seo Young-seok, as well as Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae. From the Provincial Assembly, Democratic Party Chief Representative An Gwang-ryul (Siheung District 1) attended the meeting together with Speaker Nam.

At the consultation, discussions were held on raising the local consumption tax rate and improving the calculation standards for general transfer payments to improve local financial conditions. Major issues in Gyeonggi Province such as the development of the returned areas of USFK, expansion of metropolitan-area railways, and underground railroad projects, as well as tasks for securing national funding were also addressed.

Speaker Nam explained in his opening remarks that the decrease in acquisition tax and the increase in mandatory expenditures are coinciding, making it increasingly difficult to protect people's livelihoods and continue future investments. He emphasized that support from the central government is necessary since these are issues that cannot be solved through the efforts of local governments alone.

Speaker Nam stated, "In addition to comprehensive national funding support from the party and the National Assembly, I would like you to also examine issues related to fiscal decentralization such as raising the local consumption tax rate," requesting active cooperation from the party and the National Assembly.

In particular, he presented strengthening the independence and autonomy of local assemblies as a key task alongside local financial issues. Speaker Nam said, "To create a healthy local government, the roles and authority of local assemblies must also be properly established," and added, "I ask you to join forces in enacting the 'Local Assembly Act' so that local assemblies can function as independent legislative bodies with autonomy in organization, budget, and personnel management."

Finally, Speaker Nam stated, "I hope the party and the National Assembly will join forces so that Gyeonggi Province can overcome its current difficulties and grow again," and added, "The Gyeonggi Province Assembly will carefully examine financial conditions and people's issues, and will actively contribute to tasks that must be resolved together with Gyeonggi Province and the National Assembly."