The 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council officially opened today, July 7.
The council held its first extraordinary session this afternoon to elect a chair and two vice chairs, followed by an opening ceremony.
Lim Man-kyun, a three-term council member from the Democratic Party (Gwanak 3), was elected as the chair for the first half of the 12th council.
Seong Heum-je of the Democratic Party (Eunpyeong 1) and Lee Seong-bae of the People Power Party (Songpa 4) were elected as vice chairs.
Their terms are for two years each.
In this council, the Democratic Party secured 80 out of the 118 total seats, giving it enough votes to independently override mayoral vetoes on ordinances, while the People Power Party holds the remaining 38 seats.
As a result, a tense relationship is expected between the city government, led by Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, and the city council.
In his inaugural address, Chair Lim stated, "Citizens have created an opposition-dominated Seoul Metropolitan Council to ensure that the Seoul city administration does not fall into inertia or arrogance."
"The Seoul Metropolitan Council sincerely hopes for the success of the city administration and educational policy more than anyone else. That is precisely why we must be stricter," Lim emphasized. "Bearing in mind the historical warning that unchecked power eventually becomes incompetent, we will check and monitor the administration more firmly."
He added, "We will fully cooperate when it comes to work for the citizens," but warned, "Policies that lack sufficient communication, lack procedural legitimacy, and, above all, are unilateral and fail to gain public consensus will never pass through the doors of this council."
Lim further stated, "We will certainly push through the 'Enactment of the Local Council Act,' which has been adopted as a national policy task by the Lee Jae-myung administration," adding, "We will swiftly resolve long-standing issues, such as the unreasonable environment where one policy support officer has to assist two council members."
In his congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "Democracy is the power to create better answers even amidst differing opinions." He continued, "While opinions may sometimes differ, what citizens expect is for us to create the best results together through intense debate and deliberation."
"I believe that Seoul can grow even greater when we respect each other's roles and fulfill our respective responsibilities toward the common goal of citizen happiness," Oh said. "The Seoul Metropolitan Government will take your suggestions and bitter advice to heart."
The term for members of the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council is four years, beginning on July 1.
The council plans to begin full-scale legislative activities after completing the formation of the assembly, including the election of standing committee chairs. (Photo: Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Council, Yonhap News)