The
Seoul Metropolitan Council is the
legislative body of Seoul, overseeing the city's 25 districts. Council members are elected every four years, with most representing specific districts, while 10 others are elected through
proportional representation. The council plays a crucial role in
local governance, making decisions on policies, budgets, and legislation that impact the city's administration and development. It consists of
standing committees, special committees, and a secretariat, with a chair and two vice-chairs overseeing operations. Council members hold the right to review and approve policies, manage finances, and address residents' petitions. The Seoul Metropolitan Council is empowered to pass ordinances, approve budgets, and review city policies and affairs. Standing committees focus on specific areas like public safety, housing, and transportation, while special committees address urgent city matters or ethical concerns. The council also plays a role in ensuring transparency and citizen participation, organizing
public hearings and collecting public opinions on city issues. Members of the Council hold significant power to decide on policy, legislation, residents' complaints, and city affairs related to the
Seoul Metropolitan Government and the
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. They make use of such rights in a wide range of ways, ranging from ordinances, voting, to approval processes. The council can enact, amend, and repeal ordinances, examine and approve budget proposals, approve or disapprove final accounts, and impose and collect local taxes and fees outside the purview of national laws. The council further handles funds, purchases and sells principal properties, installs and removes public installations, and listens to petitions from the people regarding municipal affairs. The Seoul Metropolitan Council also possesses the power to exercise control over the
executive branch (the SMG and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education) to monitor and correct its actions. This includes calling for attendance, answers, or opinions from the mayor or superintendent, calling for documents, auditing, and investigating administrative affairs. The council may address petitions that are brought up by citizens or other parties having interests in Seoul, complaining about or requesting improvements in city administration. Petitions may involve affairs such as damage relief, penalty against corrupt officials, promulgation or abolition of laws and regulations, administration of public facilities, and other affairs. The Seoul Metropolitan Council also has the power to select its own rules of procedure, regulate meetings, and construct its organization. It is also empowered to determine the legal status of council members and regulate internal affairs independently. With these responsibilities and rights, the Seoul Metropolitan Council has an extremely crucial role in determining Seoul's administration and growth, where the people may provide their inputs in decisions that affect their daily life and the future of the city. serves as the headquarters for the
Seoul Metropolitan Government The
Seoul Metropolitan Government, the executive branch, works alongside the Seoul Metropolitan Council. The
mayor of Seoul and the mayors of each district serve four-year terms, with
vice mayors and various directors of bureaus, offices, and divisions working under them. The dongs, or neighborhoods, provide direct services to residents within their respective areas. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is directly under the jurisdiction of the
Prime Minister, with the Seoul Mayor holding a privileged government position and able to report city affairs at cabinet meetings. The status of
civil servants within the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including key positions such as the
director general of planning and coordination and the heads of bureaus, was elevated by one tier. The Seoul Metropolitan Government oversees several key locations within its jurisdiction, which serve as the administrative centers for the city's operations. These locations include the
Seoul City Hall, which serves as the
base of operations of the local government, Seoul City Hall Seosomun Building, Seoul City Hall Seosomun Building 2, Seoul City Hall Namsan Building, Seoul City Hall Mugyo-dong Building, Seoul City Hall Cheonggyecheonro Building, and the Press Center. ==List by population and area==