Since the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council took office with a majority held by the Democratic Party of Korea, clashes over major policies have continued between Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party-led council. Even as the two sides remain sharply divided, efforts to find common ground through dialogue and mediation have persisted. At the center of that process is Lim Man-gyun, speaker for the first half of the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council, who leads the body while weighing voices from both parties. Starting next month, the council will begin its administrative audit of the city government and deliberation on next year's budget, the core functions of a local council. Attention is focused on how Lim will balance oversight with cooperation.
In a recent interview with The Seoul Economic Daily, Lim stressed that "the administrative audit should not be a simple offensive or an attempt to obstruct, but an audit that corrects flawed administration and delivers tangible results that change citizens' lives." The audit is expected to focus intensively on issues tied directly to daily life, including the Hangang Bus, which drew various allegations during the National Assembly's annual audit, as well as housing and transportation policy, ordinary wages for bus drivers and community bus fares.
For Lim, a three-term council member representing districts including Nangok-dong and Nanhyang-dong in Seoul's Gwanak-gu, the roughly 100 days since taking office have been a period of building a foundation for dialogue and cooperation. "I want to find meaning in the fact that we completed the committee assignments under a configuration in which the ruling party is in the minority in the council, and brought the normalization of TBS and the issue of mobility rights for people with disabilities back to the table," the speaker said. Lim, who worked for about a decade as a certified public labor consultant, said: "Drawing on the negotiation and mediation experience I built in the labor field, I will narrow the gap between the parties while not neglecting oversight of the executive branch." The speaker added, "We will discuss and coordinate fully within the council, but will respond firmly to policies or projects that have problems."
Lim also said judgments on the city government's major policies would be based on each project's purpose and effectiveness rather than blanket support or opposition. The speaker gave a positive assessment of the city's night economy policy, judging that it could help small business owners and the self-employed, who have struggled with weak consumer spending. Still, Lim noted that "behind the glamour of the night economy are workers who work at night," calling for measures to protect their safety and rights as well.
Closing transportation gaps by expanding urban rail lines, including the Nangok Line and the Seobu Line, is another of the speaker's main concerns. "Transportation conditions have a major impact on where citizens choose to live and on their daily lives," Lim said. "For balanced development across Seoul, the council will actively support efforts to speed up urban rail projects."
On the normalization of TBS, Lim cited restoring its status as a city-affiliated organization as the top priority. With four-way talks underway involving the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the council, TBS and the Korea Media and Communications Commission, the speaker pledged that "the council will spare no support needed so that TBS can be normalized as soon as possible and fulfill its role as a broadcaster for citizens."
By contrast, Lim expressed concern about the effectiveness of the Hangang Bus and the fiscal burden it carries, noting that ridership is concentrated on weekends rather than commuting hours as originally intended, and that the timeline for turning a profit has been pushed back. "We cannot cover operating losses indefinitely with taxpayer money," Lim said. "Now is the time to consider ways to reduce the deficit while delivering greater benefits to citizens."
Ahead of Local Autonomy and Balanced Development Day on the 29th of this month, Lim also pointed to the practical constraints facing local councils. "A single Seoul council member reviews a budget of about 500 billion won [about $350 million], but there is only one policy support officer for every two members," the speaker said. "We also lack independent authority over budget drafting and organization, which limits our ability to properly monitor and check the executive branch."
Lim plans to join forces with the 16 other metropolitan and provincial councils nationwide to push for legislation on local councils aimed at strengthening their independence and expertise. "Enacting a local council act is not simply about expanding the powers of local councils," the speaker said. "Local councils must be able to do their jobs properly for citizens' rights to be protected as well."