The undated file photo shows a makeshift coronavirus test center in South Korea. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Eight out of ten South Koreans turned out to have positive opinions about municipal governments’ efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nation’s four major local associations, including the Governors Association of Korea, and the Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization conducted a public opinion survey of 1,000 adults over 18 years of age.
As a result, 80.1 percent of the respondents said that municipal governments have made a significant contribution to limiting the spread of the virus pandemic.
In response to a question asking about the level of jurisdiction of municipal governments, 48.4 percent said that the current level was insufficient.
Roughly three quarters of the respondents supported an increase in local autonomy and decentralization, particularly during the COVID-19 period.
The survey results indicate that after going through the COVID-19 crisis, a majority of local citizens share the view that administrative efforts should be implemented in a preemptive manner through the strengthening of local autonomy and decentralization.
Another 62.4 percent of the respondents noted that the municipal governments adequately used their finances to cope with the spread of COVID-19.
Three quarters of the respondents also said that it was important to improve fiscal decentralization.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
