Nam Jongsup, Chairman of Gyeonggi Provincial Council, Elected as Head of the Council of Chairs of Provincial Councils of Korea

Nam Jongseob, Chairman of the Council of Chairs of the Provincial Councils of the Republic of Korea, is presiding over a meeting at the regular session held on the 5th in Sejong City. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Council

Nam Jongsup, Chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council (The Minjoo, Yongin 3rd District), was elected as the Chairman of the 20th first half of the Council of Chairs of the Provincial Councils of the Republic of Korea on the 5th. The Gyeonggi Provincial Council announced on the 6th that Chairman Nam was selected as the Chairman of the first half of the 20th Council during the 2026 regular session of the Council of Chairs held in Sejong City on the same day.

This marks the first time in eight years, since 2018, that the Chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council has taken on the role of leading the Council of Chairs, which represents the provincial and metropolitan councils of all 16 regions nationwide.

With the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, the nation’s largest regional assembly, taking the helm of the council, collaborative efforts among the metropolitan and provincial councils across the country toward the enactment of the Local Council Act and the strengthening of local council authority are expected to gain further momentum.

Upon his election, Chairman Nam identified three key priorities for the operation of the council: the enactment of the Local Council Act; the strengthening of solidarity among local councils nationwide; and the expansion of educational and policy exchanges. He also expressed his commitment to reinforcing both the authority and responsibility of local councils through the council’s leadership.

In his inaugural address, Chairman Nam stated, “We will resolve the long-standing issues facing local councils, beginning with the enactment of the Local Council Act,” adding, “We will leverage Gyeonggi Province’s capabilities and its foundation of cooperation with the government and the National Assembly as shared assets for all metropolitan councils, and will persistently explain and advocate for our needs until they result in institutional change.”

He further emphasized, “We will not confine ourselves within the council but will establish a broader framework for solidarity that also includes basic-level local councils nationwide. I will take the lead so that local councils across the country can speak with one voice and build greater authority along with the accompanying responsibilities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.