한국의 지방분권개혁의 성과와 과제

Abstract

This paper discussed the achievement of authority decentralization to local government system till now and issues requiring future improvement in the policies on authority decentralization to local government by focusing on; the status of central government authority delegation, the issue of administrative work allocation, the issue of change in local government administration organization and the autonomy right of local government on finance. Chapter 2 reviewed the policies and achievements of past administrations on the authority decentralization to local government. This chapter specifically reviewed the major content of Special Law for Local Administrative Organization Change enacted in 2010 by classifying the law in six areas such as; ① change in Metropolis and Metropolitan City system, ② re-establishment of status and function of Do (province), ③ change in Si (city), Gun (county) and Gu (district) system, ④ resident autonomy in Eup(town), Myeon(village) and Dong (street), ⑤ special provision for integrated local government entities and large metropolitan cities, and, ⑥ reinforcement of authority decentralization to local government. The core of Special Law for Local Administrative Organization Change is integrating Si (city), Gun (county) and Gu (district), which are the basic local government entities and maintaining current status of Do (province). In addition, a revision bill for the Local Autonomy Law had been submitted to National Assembly in October 2011 to abolish the ‘assigned work’ by central government to local government and newly establish ‘delegated work’. The head of local government who handles central government assigned work means that local government is lower level agency of central government instead of the representative of local residents. Therefore, abolishing work assignment from central government to local government system, which infringes autonomy and independence of local government, and establishing delegated works as own administrative work of local government are important matters in the authority decentralization to local government. Chapter 3 defined the principles of legislative right allocation between central government and local government as an improvement task required in authority decentralization to local government. This chapter stated; direct definition of local government kinds in the Constitution, making National Assembly as bicameral system by introducing Congress system representing local regions, transferring central government tax resources to local government, newly establishing local corporate tax and requirement of authority decentralization to local government in finance by introducing ‘tax based on ordinance’. In conclusion, the authority decentralization to local government till now is believed to have been insufficient as an innovation. Therefore, it is emphasized that the current local government administrative organization system in three layers of ‘central government – greater local government – basic local government’ should be reviewed again and the authority decentralization to local government in finance should be clearer.