# South Korean local council legislative autonomy efforts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-local-council-legislative-autonomy-efforts
> Updated: 2026-09-08T23:33:21.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 3.

Representatives from the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, led by Chairman Nam Jong-seop, have been advocating for the enactment of the Local Council Act to strengthen legislative autonomy in South Korea.

Initially, council members met with the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee to request enhanced policy support systems and budget independence. They specifically sought to ensure that budget cuts require prior consultation with the council chair and proposed converting policy support officers into special service civil servants.

Following these efforts, council members and various National Assembly representatives held a press conference to demand the act be passed within the year. Chairman Nam Jong-seop noted that despite previous amendments to the Local Autonomy Act, local councils still lack essential powers regarding organizational structure, budget formulation, and auditing, leaving them subordinate to executive bodies. The movement has garnered bipartisan support from both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party to ensure a more balanced local governance system.

This push for legislative independence has expanded beyond Gyeonggi. Local councils across South Korea, including Jeju, have joined the call for a dedicated ‘Local Council Act’ to be enacted within the year. Proponents, including Representative Kang Deuk-gu and the Association of Chairpersons of Provincial and Municipal Councils, argue that the existing ‘Local Autonomy Act’ focuses too heavily on executive branches. They maintain that a separate legal framework is necessary to secure organizational, budgetary, and auditing rights to strengthen grassroots democracy and achieve true local decentralization.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-08: South Korean local councils urge enactment of Local Council Act

Local councils across South Korea are urging the National Assembly to enact a ‘Local Council Act’ this year to secure independent authority, budget control, and stronger oversight capabilities.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-local-councils-urge-enactment-of-local-council-act

### 2026-09-03: Gyeonggi Provincial Council urges enactment of Local Council Act

Gyeonggi Provincial Council leaders and National Assembly members are urging the swift enactment of the Local Council Act to secure independent organizational, budgetary, and auditing powers for local councils.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gyeonggi-provincial-council-urges-enactment-of-local-council-act

### 2026-08-25: South Korean lawmakers urge Local Council Act passage and hold friendly soccer match

South Korean provincial leaders are urging the National Assembly to pass the Local Council Act, while lawmakers from opposing parties held a friendly soccer match to promote political cooperation.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-lawmakers-urge-local-council-act-passage-and-hold-friendly-soccer-match

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Cite as: South Korean local council legislative autonomy efforts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-local-council-legislative-autonomy-efforts