Lee Ik-sung, Bupyeong District Councillor: "The Council Secretariat Must Break Away from Conventional Reporting and Achieve 'True Independence of Personnel Authority'"

Lee Ik-sung, a councillor from Bupyeong District Council (People Power Party·Bupyeong 2, 5, 6-dong, Bugae 1-dong, Ilshin-dong), has openly criticised the conventional work practices of the Council Secretariat, strongly urging for the practical implementation of personnel authority independence and the effective operation of the policy support officer system.

During the major work report for the first half of 2026 held on the 27th of last month, Councillor Lee welcomed the appointment of the new Council Secretariat Director, Jeong Young-hee, while not holding back on his sharp criticisms regarding the overall operation of the Secretariat.

Councillor Lee first raised the issue of 'independence of personnel authority' within the Council Secretariat. He stated, "For true independence, not just in name, a 'self-promotion' system must be established," and requested, "Please implement personnel administration that can establish the status of the council in relation to the executive branch and support dynamic legislative activities."

He also continued to criticise the format of the work report. Councillor Lee pointed out, "The current work report is merely a 'diary-style summary' listing past activities, and there are no new projects at all." In particular, regarding comparative inspection reports, he emphasised that it should contain the purpose and passion behind 'why it was visited' rather than just 'where it was visited', demanding a complete overhaul of the report.

Regarding the policy support officer system, he stressed the need for a direction in manual maintenance. Councillor Lee remarked, "The evaluation criteria for the capabilities of policy support officers are crucial," and advised, "For newly hired support officers in the future, they should be managed comprehensively from a zero base to ensure they can be effective assistants in legislative activities, considering their policy support capabilities and relationships with councillors."

He also provided clear guidelines for support measures during the month spent as an 'elected official' after the local elections in June. Councillor Lee stated, "Elected officials hold a status equivalent to that of a mayor or district head," and advised that they should prepare substantial programmes that go beyond simply guiding property declarations, enabling them to accurately understand district administration and enhance their capabilities through presentations before their terms begin.

In concluding his inquiries, Councillor Lee emphasised, "Now is a turning point for the Council Secretariat to take a leap forward as we wrap up the 9th council and welcome the 10th," urging them to break away from the fixed perspectives of existing manuals and show a transformed image of the council.