오는 7월 1일 민선 9기가 출범한다.

그동안 지방자치는 주민 참여를 넓히고 지역 특성에 맞는 정책을 펴며 풀뿌리 민주주의를 뿌리내리는 토대를 마련했다는 평가를 받는다.

하지만 재정과 조직·입법 권한이 여전히 중앙정부에 묶여 있는 중앙집권적 구조, 그리고 갈수록 깊어지는 지방소멸 위기라는 숙제도 함께 안고 있다.

이런 가운데 민선 9기는 전국 최초의 광역단체 통합인 전남광주통합특별시를 출범시키며 지방자치의 새로운 실험에 나선다.

도와 광역시를 하나로 묶는 첫 사례인 만큼, 이번 통합이 어떤 길을 내느냐에 따라 다른 지역의 행정통합 논의도 영향을 받을 전망이다.

◇ 풀뿌리 민주주의 31년…실질적 지방분권 실현이 핵심 과제

우리나라 지방자치는 1948년 제헌헌법에 지방자치 규정이 도입되면서 시작됐다.

지방자치법 제정과 지방의회 선거, 자치단체장 직선제를 거치며 기반을 마련했지만, 1961년 5·16 군사쿠데타 이후 지방의회가 해산되고 지방자치단체장 임명제로 전환되면서 사실상 중단됐다.

이후 1987년 민주화로 지방자치법이 개정되고 1991년 지방의회가 부활했으며, 1995년 제1회 전국동시지방선거를 통해 주민이 지방자치단체장과 지방의원을 직접 선출하는 민선 지방자치 시대가 본격적으로 열렸다.

지난 31년 동안 지방자치는 주민 참여를 확대하고 지역 특성에 맞는 정책을 추진하며 풀뿌리 민주주의를 정착시키는 토대를 마련했다는 평가를 받는다.

자치단체 예산 총계는 2001년 81조7천816억원에서 올해 480조699억원으로 증가했고, 총세입 대비 지방세 비중은 1995년(결산 기준) 29.2%에서 지난해(당초예산 기준) 35.3%로 확대됐다.

국가사무 비중은 1994년 86.62%에서 2024년 63.26%로 낮아진 반면 지방사무 비중은 13.38%에서 36.74%로 높아졌다.

조례·규칙은 1995년 4만6천551건에서 올해 15만6천251건으로 증가했고, 주민자치회도 2013년 시범사업 30개에서 2025년 1천649개로 확대되는 등 주민 참여 기반도 꾸준히 넓어졌다.

하지만 제도적 기반 확대가 곧 실질적인 지방분권으로 이어진 것은 아니라는 평가도 나온다.

지방재정과 조직·입법 권한은 여전히 중앙정부 의존도가 높고, 지역 간 재정 격차와 지방소멸 위기도 심화하면서 실질적인 지방분권은 여전히 과제로 남아 있다.

한국지방행정연구원의 '민선 지방자치 30년 평가 연구'에 따르면 1995년 지방자치 부활 이후 주민 생활 수준은 전반적으로 향상됐지만 수도권과 비수도권 간 격차는 오히려 확대됐다.

연구에 따르면 지난 20년간(2004∼2024년) 수도권은 청년층 순유입이 139만명에 달했고, 전체 인구도 96만명 순유입을 기록했다. 반면 비수도권은 청년 유출이 이어지면서 지방소멸 위험이 본격화된 것으로 분석됐다.

지방정부의 행정·재정 권한과 행정역량은 강화됐지만 국가 중심의 행정 구조는 여전히 유지되고 주민의 참여 효능감도 높지 않은 것으로 평가됐다.

육동일 한국지방행정연구원 원장은 "지난 30여년간 지방자치 제도가 상당 부분 갖춰지고 지방자치단체의 자율성도 확대됐지만, 주민들이 체감할 만한 성과는 아직 충분하지 않다"며 "이제는 양적 성장을 넘어 질적 성숙 단계로 나아가야 한다"고 제언했다.

이어 "헌법 개정을 통해 지방자치 활성화와 지방정부의 자율성을 구체적으로 보장할 필요가 있다"며 "(주민 참여를 위한) 주민자치회를 어떻게 정착시킬 것인지에 대한 고민도 함께 이뤄져야 한다"고 덧붙였다.

◇ 첫 광역 행정통합…새 국면 맞은 지방자치

민선 9기의 대표적인 변화는 전국 최초의 통합 광역단체인 전남광주통합특별시가 출범한다는 점이다. 전남광주통합특별시 출범은 지난 31년간 지방자치가 축적한 성과와 드러난 한계 위에서 추진되는 새로운 시도다.

전남광주통합특별시는 인구 약 320만명, 지역내총생산(GRDP) 약 159조원 규모의 초광역 메가시티로 출범한다. 면적은 1만2천813㎢로 서울의 약 21배에 달하며 서울특별시에 준하는 지위가 부여된다.

그동안 경남 마산·창원·진해와 충북 청주·청원처럼 기초자치단체 간 행정구역 통합 사례는 있었지만, 광역자치단체인 도와 광역시를 하나로 묶는 행정통합은 이번이 처음이다.

이에 따라 전국 광역자치단체도 기존 17개 시·도에서 16개 체제로 재편될 예정이다.

광주·전남 통합은 인구 감소와 지방소멸, 수도권 집중에 대응하기 위해 생활권과 경제권이 밀접한 두 지역을 하나의 광역 행정체계로 통합하는 데 목적이 있다.

규모의 경제를 확보하고 광역 단위 정책 추진의 효율성을 높여 지역 경쟁력을 강화하겠다는 구상이다.

다만 광역자치단체 간 통합은 전례가 없는 만큼 해결해야 할 과제도 적지 않다.

주청사와 조직 운영 방식을 둘러싼 논의가 이어지는 가운데 지역 간 이해관계를 어떻게 조정하느냐도 통합의 성패를 좌우할 변수로 꼽힌다.

전광섭 호남대 행정학과 교수는 "기초자치단체 간 통합 사례는 있었지만 광역자치단체 간 통합은 이번이 첫 사례"라며 "그만큼 신중하게 접근해야 한다"고 말했다.

그러면서 "통합 이후 청사 위치와 산업 유치, 개발이익 배분 등을 둘러싼 갈등을 어떻게 조정하느냐가 성공의 관건이 될 것"이라며 "이번 사례는 대전·충남, 대구·경북, 부산·울산·경남 등 다른 지역의 행정통합 논의에도 중요한 가늠자가 될 수 있다"고 설명했다.

최호택 배재대 행정학과 교수는 "광역 통합이 성공하려면 중앙정부의 재정권과 자치권 이양이 필수적"이라며 "정부가 국가균형발전과 광주·전남 통합의 성공을 원한다면 재정권과 자치권을 확실히 넘겨줘야 한다"고 주장했다.

이어 "통합시는 이를 바탕으로 시·군 균형발전을 위한 새로운 로드맵을 마련해 추진해야 한다"며 "(통합시의 면적이 넓어지는 만큼) 광주와 다른 지역을 유기적으로 연결할 수 있는 광역철도망 등 교통 인프라도 촘촘하게 구축하는 것도 필요하다"고 강조했다.

chacha@yna.co.kr

Putaran kesembilan pemerintah yang dipilih warga akan diluncurkan pada 1 Juli mendatang.

Selama ini, otonomi daerah dievaluasi telah memperluas partisipasi penduduk, melaksanakan kebijakan yang sesuai dengan karakteristik daerah, dan menyiapkan fondasi untuk menanamkan demokrasi akar rumput.

Namun, ia juga membawa masalah struktur sentralisasi di mana otoritas keuangan, organisasi, dan legislatif masih terikat pada pemerintah pusat, serta krisis pelenyapan daerah yang semakin dalam.

Di tengah hal ini, putaran kesembilan pemerintah yang dipilih warga meluncurkan Kota Khusus Jeonnam-Gwangju Terpadu, penggabungan unit daerah pertama di negara ini, dan memulai eksperimen baru dalam otonomi daerah.

Karena ini adalah kasus pertama menggabungkan provinsi dan kota metropolitan, diperkirakan diskusi penggabungan administratif di daerah lain juga akan terpengaruh tergantung pada jalan apa yang dibuka oleh penggabungan ini.

◇ 31 Tahun Demokrasi Akar Rumput…Realisasi Desentralisasi Daerah yang Substantif Merupakan Tugas Inti

Otonomi daerah Korea dimulai ketika ketentuan otonomi daerah dimasukkan dalam Konstitusi Pendiri pada tahun 1948.

Fondasi dibangun melalui penetapan Undang-Undang Otonomi Daerah, pemilihan dewan lokal, dan sistem pemilihan langsung kepala daerah, tetapi setelah kudeta militer 5·16 pada tahun 1961, dewan lokal dibubarkan dan beralih ke sistem penunjukan kepala otonomi daerah, secara efektif dihentikan.

Setelahnya, undang-undang otonomi daerah diamandemen melalui demokratisasi pada tahun 1987, dewan lokal dipulihkan pada tahun 1991, dan era otonomi daerah yang dipilih warga, di mana penduduk secara langsung memilih kepala otonomi daerah dan anggota dewan lokal, secara resmi dibuka melalui Pemilihan Umum Pemerintah Lokal Pertama se-Negara pada tahun 1995.

Selama 31 tahun terakhir, otonomi daerah dievaluasi telah memperluas partisipasi penduduk, melaksanakan kebijakan yang sesuai dengan karakteristik daerah, dan menyiapkan fondasi untuk menetapkan demokrasi akar rumput.

Total anggaran pemerintah lokal meningkat dari 81 triliun 7 miliar 816 juta won pada tahun 2001 menjadi 480 triliun 699 juta won tahun ini, dan proporsi pajak daerah terhadap total pendapatan meningkat dari 29,2% pada tahun 1995 (atas dasar penyelesaian) menjadi 35,3% tahun lalu (atas dasar anggaran awal).

Proporsi urusan negara menurun dari 86,62% pada tahun 1994 menjadi 63,26% pada tahun 2024, sementara proporsi urusan daerah meningkat dari 13,38% menjadi 36,74%.

Peraturan lokal meningkat dari 46.551 kasus pada tahun 1995 menjadi 156.251 kasus tahun ini, dan organisasi otonomi warga juga diperluas dari 30 proyek percontohan pada tahun 2013 menjadi 1.649 pada tahun 2025, sementara fondasi partisipasi penduduk terus meluas.

Namun, ada juga penilaian bahwa perluasan fondasi institusional tidak langsung menyebabkan desentralisasi daerah yang substantif.

Keuangan daerah dan otoritas organisasi dan legislasi masih memiliki ketergantungan tinggi pada pemerintah pusat, dan ketika kesenjangan keuangan antar daerah dan krisis pelenyapan daerah semakin parah, desentralisasi daerah yang substantif masih menjadi tugas yang tersisa.

Menurut 'Penelitian Evaluasi 30 Tahun Otonomi Daerah yang Dipilih Warga' oleh Institut Riset Administrasi Daerah Korea, setelah kebangkitan otonomi daerah pada tahun 1995, tingkat kehidupan penduduk secara keseluruhan meningkat tetapi kesenjangan antara wilayah metropolitan dan non-metropolitan malah meluas.

Menurut penelitian, selama 20 tahun terakhir (2004-2024), wilayah metropolitan mencatat migrasi bersih kaum muda sebesar 1,39 juta dan migrasi bersih keseluruhan sebesar 960.000. Sebaliknya, wilayah non-metropolitan mengalami keluarnya kaum muda yang berkelanjutan, dan risiko pelenyapan daerah dianalisis telah dimulai sepenuhnya.

Otoritas administrasi dan keuangan pemerintah daerah dan kapasitas administrasi diperkuat, tetapi struktur administrasi berpusat pada negara masih dipertahankan dan efektivitas partisipasi penduduk dievaluasi tidak tinggi.

Direktur Institut Riset Administrasi Daerah Korea Yuk Dong-il menyarankan, "Meskipun sistem otonomi daerah telah dipersiapkan secara substansial selama 30 tahun terakhir dan otonomi pemerintah lokal juga telah diperluas, pencapaian yang dapat dirasakan penduduk masih belum cukup," dan "sekarang kita harus bergerak melampaui pertumbuhan kuantitatif menuju tahap kematangan kualitatif."

Dia melanjutkan, "Perlu menjamin aktivasi otonomi daerah dan otonomi pemerintah daerah secara konkret melalui amandemen konstitusional," dan menambahkan "pertimbangan tentang bagaimana menyelesaikan organisasi otonomi warga (untuk partisipasi penduduk) juga perlu dilakukan bersama."

◇ Penggabungan Administrasi Regional Pertama…Otonomi Daerah Memasuki Fase Baru

Perubahan representatif putaran kesembilan pemerintah yang dipilih warga adalah peluncuran Kota Khusus Jeonnam-Gwangju Terpadu, unit daerah terpadu pertama di negara ini. Peluncuran Kota Khusus Jeonnam-Gwangju Terpadu adalah upaya baru yang didorong di atas pencapaian dan keterbatasan yang terungkap yang telah terakumulasi dalam otonomi daerah selama 31 tahun terakhir.

Kota Khusus Jeonnam-Gwangju Terpadu akan diluncurkan sebagai megakota super-regional dengan populasi sekitar 3,2 juta dan produk domestik regional bruto (PDRB) sekitar 159 triliun won. Dengan luas 12.813 ㎢, luas kota ini mencapai sekitar 21 kali lipat dari Seoul, dan status setara dengan Seoul diberikan.

Selama ini, ada kasus penggabungan wilayah administrasi antar pemerintah lokal dasar seperti Masan, Changwon, dan Jinhae di Gyeongnam dan Cheongju dan Cheongwon di Chungbuk, tetapi penggabungan administrasi yang menggabungkan provinsi dan kota metropolitan yang merupakan pemerintah lokal regional adalah yang pertama kali ini.

Akibatnya, pemerintah lokal regional di seluruh negara juga dijadwalkan untuk disusun kembali dari 17 provinsi dan kota yang ada menjadi sistem 16.

Integrasi Gwangju dan Jeonnam bertujuan untuk mengintegrasikan dua daerah yang erat dalam hal area kehidupan dan ekonomi menjadi satu sistem administrasi regional untuk merespons penurunan populasi, pelenyapan daerah, dan konsentrasi metropolitan.

Rencana ini adalah untuk mengamankan skala ekonomi dan meningkatkan efisiensi dalam melaksanakan kebijakan tingkat regional untuk memperkuat daya saing daerah.

Namun, karena penggabungan antar pemerintah lokal regional tidak ada preseden, ada banyak tugas yang harus diselesaikan.

Sementara diskusi mengenai kantor pusat utama dan metode operasi organisasi terus berlanjut, bagaimana menyelaraskan kepentingan antar daerah juga dianggap sebagai variabel yang akan menentukan keberhasilan atau kegagalan integrasi.

Profesor Jeon Gwang-seop dari Departemen Administrasi Publik Universitas Honam mengatakan, "Ada kasus penggabungan antar pemerintah lokal dasar tetapi penggabungan antar pemerintah lokal regional adalah kasus pertama ini," dan berkata "kita harus mendekatinya dengan hati-hati."

Sambil mengatakan, "Bagaimana menyelaraskan konflik seputar lokasi kantor, promosi industri, dan distribusi manfaat pembangunan setelah integrasi akan menjadi kunci kesuksesan," dia menjelaskan, "kasus ini juga dapat menjadi tolok ukur penting dalam diskusi penggabungan administrasi di daerah lain seperti Daejeon-Chungnam, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, dan Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam."

Profesor Choi Ho-taek dari Departemen Administrasi Publik Universitas Pai Chai berpendapat, "Untuk kesuksesan integrasi regional, transfer otoritas keuangan dan otonomi dari pemerintah pusat sangat penting," dan menegaskan, "jika pemerintah menginginkan pengembangan keseimbangan nasional dan keberhasilan integrasi Gwangju-Jeonnam, ia harus dengan jelas menyerahkan otoritas keuangan dan otonomi."

Dia melanjutkan, "Kota terpadu harus menyiapkan dan melaksanakan peta jalan baru untuk pengembangan keseimbangan kota dan kabupaten berdasarkan ini," dan menekankan, "(karena area kota terpadu meluas) juga perlu membangun infrastruktur transportasi seperti jaringan kereta regional yang dapat secara organik menghubungkan Gwangju dan daerah lain dengan padat."

chacha@yna.co.kr

The 9th term of elected local government will launch on July 1.

During this time, local government has been evaluated as laying the groundwork for expanding citizen participation, pursuing policies tailored to regional characteristics, and establishing grassroots democracy.

However, local government also faces the challenges of a centralized structure where financial resources, organizational, and legislative authority remain in the hands of the central government, as well as the deepening crisis of local area decline.

In this context, the 9th term of elected local government is launching the nation's first integrated metropolitan body, Jeollanam-do Gwangju Integrated Special City, embarking on a new experiment in local government.

As this is the first case of merging a province and metropolitan city into one, the path taken by this integration is expected to influence discussions of administrative consolidation in other regions as well.

◇ Thirty-one years of grassroots democracy...realizing substantial decentralization is the key task

Local government in Korea began when provisions for local autonomy were introduced in the 1948 Constitution.

While the foundation was laid through the enactment of the Local Government Act, local assembly elections, and direct elections of local government heads, local autonomy was effectively halted when local assemblies were dissolved and local government heads were appointed by the central government following the May 16 Military Coup of 1961.

Subsequently, the Local Government Act was amended through democratization in 1987, local assemblies were revived in 1991, and with the first nationwide simultaneous local elections in 1995, the era of elected local government, in which residents directly elected local government heads and local assembly members, began in earnest.

Over the past 31 years, local government has been evaluated as laying the groundwork for expanding citizen participation, promoting policies tailored to regional characteristics, and establishing grassroots democracy.

Local government budgets have increased from 81.7816 trillion won in 2001 to 480.0699 trillion won this year, while the proportion of local taxes relative to total revenue has expanded from 29.2% in 1995 (based on settlement) to 35.3% last year (based on initial budget).

The proportion of national affairs declined from 86.62% in 1994 to 63.26% in 2024, while the proportion of local affairs increased from 13.38% to 36.74%.

Local ordinances and rules increased from 46,551 in 1995 to 156,251 this year, and resident autonomous councils also expanded from 30 pilot projects in 2013 to 1,649 in 2025, with the foundation for citizen participation steadily broadening.

However, there are assessments that the expansion of institutional foundations has not necessarily led to substantial decentralization.

Local finance and organizational and legislative authority remain highly dependent on the central government, and the gap in finances between regions and the crisis of local area decline have intensified, leaving substantial decentralization as an ongoing challenge.

According to the Korean Institute of Local Administration's "Research on Evaluating 30 Years of Elected Local Government," while residents' living standards have generally improved since the revival of local government in 1995, the gap between the capital region and non-capital regions has actually widened.

According to the research, over the past 20 years (2004-2024), the capital region saw a net inflow of 1.39 million young people, with a total net population inflow of 960,000. In contrast, non-capital regions experienced continued outflow of young people, with the risk of local area decline becoming imminent.

Local governments' administrative and financial authority and capacity have been strengthened, but the state-centered administrative structure remains in place and residents' sense of participation efficacy is not high.

Yuk Dong-il, president of the Korean Institute of Local Administration, said, "Over the past 30 years, the local government system has been substantially established and the autonomy of local governments has expanded, but the results that residents can feel are still insufficient," and suggested that "now we must move beyond quantitative growth to a stage of qualitative maturation."

He continued, "It is necessary to guarantee local government activation and autonomy of local governments through constitutional amendment. We also need to consider how to establish resident autonomous councils for citizen participation," he added.

◇ First metropolitan administrative integration...local government faces new phase

The representative change of the 9th term is the launch of Jeollanam-do Gwangju Integrated Special City, the nation's first integrated metropolitan body. The launch of Jeollanam-do Gwangju Integrated Special City is a new attempt being pursued on the basis of the achievements and revealed limitations accumulated by local government over the past 31 years.

Jeollanam-do Gwangju Integrated Special City launches as a super-metropolitan megacity with a population of approximately 3.2 million and a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of approximately 159 trillion won. With an area of 12,813㎢, approximately 21 times the size of Seoul, it is granted a status equivalent to Seoul Special City.

In the past, there have been cases of administrative consolidation between basic local government units, such as Masan, Changwon, and Jinhae in South Gyeongsangnam-do and Cheongju and Cheongwon in North Chungcheong-do, but this is the first administrative integration merging a province, a metropolitan regional government unit, and a metropolitan city into one.

Accordingly, the nation's metropolitan local government units are expected to be reorganized from the existing 17 provinces and cities to 16 units.

The integration of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do aims to integrate two regions with closely linked living spheres and economic zones into one metropolitan administrative system in response to population decline, local area decline, and concentration in the capital region.

The plan is to secure economies of scale and increase the efficiency of metropolitan-level policy implementation to strengthen regional competitiveness.

However, since there is no precedent for integration between metropolitan regional government units, there are not a few challenges that must be addressed.

As discussions continue over the location of the main office and organizational operations, how to coordinate interests between regions is also cited as a variable that will determine the success or failure of the integration.

Jeon Kwang-seop, professor of public administration at Honam University, said, "There have been cases of integration between basic local government units, but this is the first case of integration between metropolitan regional government units," and said, "It should be approached with that much care."

He added, "How conflicts over the location of the office, industrial attraction, and distribution of development benefits are resolved after integration will be the key to success," and explained, "This case can serve as an important gauge for discussions of administrative integration in other regions such as Daejeon and Chungcheongnam-do, Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam."

Choi Ho-taek, professor of public administration at Pai Chai University, argued, "For metropolitan integration to succeed, transfer of central government's financial authority and autonomy is essential," and said, "If the government wants to achieve national balanced development and success of the Gwangju-Jeollanam-do integration, it must clearly transfer financial authority and autonomy."

He continued, "Based on this, the integrated city should establish and implement a new roadmap for balanced development of cities and counties," and emphasized, "As the area of the integrated city expands, it is also necessary to densely construct transportation infrastructure such as metropolitan railways that can organically connect Gwangju and other regions."

chacha@yna.co.kr