The Seoul Metropolitan Council elected lawmaker Lee Min-ok (Democratic Party of Korea, Seongdong-gu District 3) as chair of the Administration and Autonomy Committee for the first half of the 12th council term at a plenary session Tuesday.
Lee previously served as vice chair of the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council's Planning and Economy Committee and as a member of the Budget and Settlement Special Committee, consistently advocating for livelihood economics, community development and balanced regional growth. She continues her legislative work in the 12th council as chair of the Administration and Autonomy Committee.
As head of the committee that handles matters most directly affecting residents' daily lives, Lee said her core priorities would be restoring public trust in the council, strengthening its functions and upholding integrity in leadership.
With this appointment, Lee said she aims to fulfill the committee's core mandate across innovation planning, administration, fiscal affairs and auditing. She said she would improve transparency and efficiency throughout the budget planning and execution process, and build a more rigorous reporting and verification framework between the council and the executive branch to set a standard for accountable governance.
"The council must restore trust first before it can persuade the executive branch, and the executive branch must earn the public's trust before policy can succeed," Lee said. "As chair, I will firmly uphold principles, fairness, transparency and accountability to deliver a legislative record that citizens can be proud of. Whether residents' daily lives are improving will be my ultimate measure of success."
Lee added that she would serve as "a steadfast guardian who sets administration right from the perspective of citizens" and pledged to work alongside residents to realize the values of balanced development, inclusion, fairness, integrity and trust in Seoul.
Lee served as a Seongdong-gu district council member in the 8th term before being elected to the Seoul Metropolitan Council in the 11th and 12th terms. During her tenure she has served on the council's Steering Committee, Planning and Economy Committee, Special Committee on Climate Change Response and Disaster Preparedness, Budget Policy Committee, Ethics Special Committee, Youth Mental Health Special Committee and Human Rights Improvement Special Committee.
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