Basic Report

Given that resident autonomy is a key factor to local autonomy and that the measure of basic autonomy is the level of effectiveness of where resident autonomy takes place, the current size of the gun-government is too large. In the local autonomy of today, at the gun-level, there is no autonomy for the residents; autonomy is only for public officials. More than 20 years have passed since local autonomy restarted in 1995. However, most of the people are indifferent to or critical of local autonomy, mostly because they are alienated from the system due to the massive size of the current basic autonomy unit. It is better for local autonomy to take place in district units smaller than guns, such as eups/myeons. An autonomy plan at the eup/myeon level can reinforce resident self-governance and participation by improving the accessibility of the residents. This is its most beneficial merit. By practicing the autonomy of eup/myeon units, local autonomy, which today is unaligned with resident interest and even the subject for criticism, can return to the hands of the people. This will lead to the settlement a local autonomy with the active participation of the residents. This marks the start of research and discussion about the introduction of autonomy at the eup/myeon level. After selecting the case area, this study analyzes the relationship between guns and eup/myeons, evaluates the gun autonomy, deduces problems/issues, and suggests alternatives. The overall efficiency of current gun autonomy received a somewhat positive assessment. However, regarding resident participation, which is an item that ensures integrity and democracy, the results were rather negative. Therefore, a change of the system is required to improve and develop Korea’s democracy and to raise its local autonomy a step higher. One of the most effective alternatives for such change is introducing the autonomy at the eup/myeon level. Clearly, resident participation must urgently be employed to secure democracy and the local autonomy of Korea today. Although there may be some opposition to introducing the eup/myeon autonomy as a means of reinforcing democracy through resident participation, the opposition can also be applied to issues in developing local autonomy. If this study can start the discussion about introducing autonomy at the eup/myeon level and create a bond towards such autonomy in the future, then the four types of eup/myeon autonomies described in this study can become sub-themes for beginning a new discussion. More studies and discussions shall be carried out by those in academics, social/citizens groups, governments, and political parties who are interested in local autonomy.