The Democratic Party of Korea (floor leader Lee Sang-hoon) and the People Power Party (floor leader Kim Gil-young) of the Seoul Metropolitan Council reached an agreement Thursday on the first-half leadership structure of the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council.
Under the agreement, the Democratic Party of Korea — the council's first negotiating bloc — will chair the Steering Committee as well as the committees on administrative affairs, planning and economy, health and welfare, urban safety and construction, housing and space, transportation, and education.
The People Power Party, the second negotiating bloc, will chair the committees on environment and water resources, culture, sports and tourism, and urban planning and balanced development.
The chairmanship of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts will also follow the precedent set during the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council: the Democratic Party of Korea will hold the chair in the first, third and fourth terms, while the People Power Party will hold it in the second term.
The two parties said the leadership agreement marks a starting point for avoiding unnecessary conflict and confrontation, and pledged to pursue responsible legislative work that puts citizens' lives first. They also agreed to fulfill the local council's core role of checking and overseeing city administration, while working together — through healthy competition and cooperation — to advance the Seoul Metropolitan Council and strengthen mature democratic governance.
The floor leaders of both parties said they "reached a smooth agreement in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation," adding that they would "focus their legislative efforts on Seoul's development and the happiness of its citizens."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
