Decentralisation and Local Autonomy in Korea

Abstract

For a long time, Korea has been governed by strongly centralized government from the Three Kingdom Era (B.C. 57~AD. 677) to the Yi Dynasty Era (1392-1909) and the period of Japanese occupation (1910~1945). After Korea regained her independence after World War Ⅱ, her Constitution was promulgated in 1948 and local governments were guaranteed by the Constitution. In 1949, the Local Autonomy Law was enacted and promulgated as a basic legislation for local autonomy. The local autonomous system of Korea had been carried without local council during 1949~1951, with local council during 1952~1961, without local council during 1962~1990, and with local council from 1991. The core of local autonomy is the right of self-government, and the right of self-government is determined mainly by a delegation of authority from state rather than by a creation of local autonomous body itself. The level and contents of decentralisation depend on the conditions of space and time, and accordingly they must be determined in harmony with characteristics and ability of local autonomous bodies. This is the reason why big cities, small and medium-sized cities and rural areas must be different each other in the forms and methods of local government.