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

Lee Ik-sung, a member of the Bupyeong District Council (People Power Party·Bupyeong 2, 5, 6-dong, Bugae 1-dong, Ilshin-dong), directly criticized the conventional work promotion methods of the Council Secretariat and strongly urged the practical implementation of personnel authority independence and the substantial 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, while welcoming the appointment of the new Council Secretariat Director Jeong Young-hee, Council Member Lee did not hold back on his sharp criticisms regarding the overall operation of the Secretariat.

Council Member Lee first raised the issue of the 'independence of personnel authority' of the Council Secretariat. He stated, "For true independence, not just nominal independence, 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."

Criticism of the format of the work report also followed. Council Member Lee pointed out, "The current work report is merely a 'diary-style summary' listing past activities and lacks any new projects." In particular, regarding comparative inspection reports, he emphasized that the report should contain the purpose and passion behind 'why we went' rather than just 'where we went,' demanding a comprehensive improvement of the report.

Regarding the policy support officer system, he stressed the direction of manual maintenance. Council Member 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 practical assistants in legislative activities, considering their policy support capabilities and relationships with council members."

He also presented clear guidelines for support measures during the one month period of being an 'elected official' after the local elections in June. Council Member Lee stated, "Elected officials have a status equivalent to that of a district mayor or city mayor," and advised, "We need to prepare substantial programs that go beyond simply guiding property declarations, allowing them to accurately understand district administration before their term begins and enhance their capabilities through presentations and other means."

In concluding his inquiries, Council Member Lee emphasized, "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. Please show a changed image of the Council beyond the fixed perspectives of existing manuals."