Gangwon Province launches grassroots democracy support unit as resident councils take effect

In Switzerland, where direct democracy is the law of the land, residents gather in large numbers for major political events that feel more like a city festival than a civic proceeding.

The spectacle draws tourists from around the world. Decision-making is dynamic and unfiltered — policy proposals pass and take effect without being screened by elected representatives, going beyond the limits of the representative democracy practiced in South Korea and elsewhere.

Resident self-governance overcomes the shortcomings that representative democracy cannot address, channeling the raw opinions of individual residents into a single collective will through voting. When key local issues are decided by live ballots cast on the spot and residents cheer "Yeah! Good! Amazing!" afterward, the scene is more exhilarating than most festivals. Elected politicians — National Assembly members, provincial lawmakers, city and county council members — have no place in direct democracy.

Resident self-governance is already under way in some areas, including Jeongseon. However, residents there have had to bear the costs themselves.

Genuine local autonomy and grassroots democracy are now set to take root in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, as the state and local governments have agreed to cover the costs of setting up resident councils.

One remaining challenge is whether resolutions passed by a general assembly of residents should be made binding on actual local government policy.

With the revision of the Local Autonomy Act, resident councils formally took effect in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province on Thursday, and the province is moving actively to promote resident self-governance that reflects local characteristics and conditions. Resident councils are the core foundation of grassroots democracy, enabling residents of towns, townships and neighborhoods to identify and resolve local issues on their own. The legal revision has established the institutional framework for the full operation of resident councils and for administrative and fiscal support.

Starting in 2027, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province will launch a new "Grassroots Resident Self-Governance Support Unit" staffed by experts in resident autonomy. The unit will work alongside city and county resident councils to resolve difficulties that arise in the field and provide tailored consulting suited to each area's conditions.

Building on that consulting work, the province plans to share operational experiences and best practices among city and county resident councils, and to expand and strengthen education programs and seminars for council members so that resident self-governance activities suited to each community's character can take stable root.

The province also plans to broaden the scope of resident self-governance activities by linking existing village community projects with resident council work, enabling residents to identify and resolve local lifestyle issues themselves and fostering a wide range of resident-led initiatives across the region.

In addition, the province intends to support the development of new resident self-governance projects — ones that residents can feel in their daily lives and in which councils can play a leading role — through competitive grant programs and similar mechanisms.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province will pursue three initiatives: establishing and operating the new Grassroots Resident Self-Governance Support Unit, expanding and strengthening education and seminars for council members, and supporting new resident self-governance projects tailored to local characteristics. Alongside these efforts, the province will continuously monitor the progress of city and county transitions to resident councils and the enactment or revision of related ordinances, and plans to revise its own provincial ordinance supporting resident self-governance by the first half of next year.