Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan City Council to hold first meeting at midnight July 1

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan City Council is set to convene its first extraordinary session at midnight on July 1, marking a pivotal moment in the administrative integration of the two regions.

The council's inaugural meeting will take place at the Jeonnam government building, where elected members will elect the council's speaker and vice-speakers. They will also establish standing committees and deliberate on crucial bylaws necessary for the new special city's operations. This includes the swift passage of 330 legislative items, comprising 233 special city ordinances, 63 special education office ordinances, and 34 council rules and regulations.

Initially considered for a 7 a.m. start, the meeting was moved forward to midnight to expedite the approval of essential administrative laws. The oldest serving member, Kim Seong-il, will preside over the session as acting speaker, prioritizing the election of the first-term speaker. Following this, the new speaker will lead the discussion and voting on the core ordinances required for the special city, metropolitan government, and education office to commence their duties at 9 a.m.

Due to the members' status as newly elected officials without established standing committees, the initial review of the proposed ordinances will be conducted without in-depth deliberation. These bylaws are expected to pass in their original form during this session and will be subject to further review and potential amendments once the standing committees are formed. The newly elected special mayor and superintendent of education will also take their oaths and deliver inaugural addresses during the plenary session.