Lawmaker pushes bill to designate 'Residents' Autonomy Day'

Rep. Yun Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea, who represents Jeongeup and Gochang-gun in North Jeolla Province and sits on the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, said Wednesday he had introduced a bill to legally designate a "Residents' Autonomy Day." The measure, described as the first of its kind in South Korean history, would honor the legacy of the Donghak Peasant Revolution's Jipgangso, in which ordinary citizens directly managed public order and administration, realizing grassroots democracy.

Under current regulations governing national commemorative days, the government may designate official holidays and commemorative weeks and set out the ceremonies and related events held on those days at the national and local levels, Yun said.

Oct. 29 has been observed annually as "Local Autonomy and Balanced Development Day," anchored to the date of the ninth constitutional amendment in 1987, but critics have long argued that the designation "leans too heavily toward commemorating an institutional decision driven by the central government and falls short of capturing the essence of local autonomy — namely, resident initiative and grassroots democracy."

Yun's amendment would enshrine "Residents' Autonomy Day" in law and set the date as June 11, the anniversary of the Jeonju Treaty that led to the establishment of the Donghak Peasant Revolution's Jipgangso. The bill aims to restore the historical legitimacy of residents' self-governance, raise public awareness of its importance and lay a stronger foundation for a resident-led era of local governance.

The amendment is expected to serve as an institutional stepping stone toward restoring that historical legitimacy, broadening awareness of residents' autonomy and opening a genuinely resident-centered era of local governance.

"The 'Residents' Autonomy Day' we seek to designate is a day to carry on the grassroots spirit of self-governance embodied by the common people who were the proud masters of their own history," Yun said. "Since the essence of local autonomy ultimately lies in resident initiative, it is only right to enshrine in law June 11 — the date of the Jeonju Treaty — which realized democracy from below, breaking free from the limits of government-led administration. Through this amendment, I will work to raise awareness of the importance of residents' autonomy and build an even stronger foundation for a resident-led era of genuine local governance."