A revision to the Public Official Election Act that increases the number of basic-level council members in Incheon by three passed a Cabinet meeting Monday, as a follow-up legislative measure ahead of Incheon's administrative restructuring in July.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok presided over an extraordinary Cabinet meeting and emergency economic response meeting at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno, central Seoul, Monday morning, where the partial revision bill of the Public Official Election Act was reviewed and approved.
The revision was prepared as Incheon's Yeongjong Island is to be reorganized as Yeongjong-gu, a new basic-level local government. The Incheon Metropolitan Government plans to overhaul its administrative system starting July 1 and launch Yeongjong-gu as a new district.
Under current standards, the number of basic-level council members for a basic local government is seven. The ruling and opposition parties agreed to amend the law to add three more seats to reflect the seat count required for the launch of Yeongjong-gu.
"We held a Cabinet meeting yesterday for more than three hours, and the reason we are holding an extraordinary Cabinet meeting today is to review the promulgation of the Public Official Election Act revision," Kim said at the meeting. "Now that the redistricting has been completed, the relevant ministries must devote all their efforts to fair election management, including countering fake news and supporting statutory election affairs."
