SEOUL -- Nov. 28 was a black day for local autonomy in South Korea. On that date a group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the National Assembly, aimed at abolishing the democratic election of lower-level mayors. The 42 lawmakers from different political parties who presented the bill argued that the financial situation of local administrations had deteriorated so much since the introduction of the popular vote that it was high time to reintroduce a system that appointed seasoned government bureaucrats to fill mayoral posts.
It is not a good sign when democratically elected politicians engage in a effort to rob the people of the right to elect their local leaders. Elections are the foundation of democracy.
The revisionist challenge at the National Assembly has provoked strong opposition at the local government level. Local mayors and their supporters have geared up to ward off the attacks that threaten their political and institutional existence.