Daegu revives citizen-led policy debate system with lower petition threshold

Daegu City is preparing its first municipal ordinance of the ninth elected administration — an amendment to restore and revitalize the city's policy debate petition system.

According to the city, the policy debate petition system was introduced in Daegu in 2008, the first of its kind in the country, and went on to host 22 public forums, establishing itself as a signature civic participation mechanism.

The forums stopped, however, after the signature threshold required to file a petition was raised to 1,200 in 2023.

The proposed ordinance amendment is an administrative measure to institutionally support Mayor Choo Kyung-ho's governing philosophy of "citizen-centered, empathetic administration," which he emphasized upon taking office.

The amendment aims to lower the barrier to filing a policy debate petition — improving public accessibility — while also expanding the review committee that decides whether to hold a forum, so that citizens from a wider range of fields can participate.

The signature requirement to file a policy debate petition will be cut sharply from 1,200 to 300.

To handle the expected increase in civic engagement and the growing diversity of administrative demands that the lower threshold will bring, the policy debate petition review committee will be expanded from 11 members to 13.

The two additional seats will go to private-sector members drawn from various professional fields, with the aim of strengthening the committee's objectivity and representativeness.

"Change, growth and a better tomorrow begin with an open attitude that listens to citizens' voices without filtering, and with bold administrative innovation," Mayor Choo said. "We will revitalize the policy debate petition system, realize an open administration that works alongside citizens, and deliver the change and growth that people can actually feel."

Meanwhile, civic groups in Daegu welcomed the city's decision to restore the system.

The Woori Welfare Citizens' Alliance said in a statement that it "welcomes this decision to restore the system," adding that "Mayor Choo's decision to reinstate the 300-signature threshold is significant in that it provides a starting point for normalizing city governance that had gone off track. We also urge the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education to enact its own ordinance establishing a policy debate petition system."