Creating Effective Intergovernmental Relations for the Realization of Sustainable Development Policy in Korea

Abstract

Korea resumed local autonomy in 1991. Except for the first ten years since the Republic, Korea's local authorities did not have substantial political or administrative decision-making power for thirty years under the central authoritarian governments (Jung, 1987). As democratization proceeded, however, the local assemblies reorganized their structure in 1991 and the citizens gained the right to elect chief executives of local governments in 1995. The reestablishment of local councils and the popularly supported local chief executives enabled the Korean local governments to restore their nominal political decision-making power. In reality, however, the substantial centralization of government functions and central control on local governments still persisted. They prevented the local governments from seeking their autonomous regional developments.