Restrictions on Third Term: A Violation of Right to Equality

Twenty-seven local government leaders across the nation, including the mayor of Seocho-gu, Seoul, Jo Nam-ho, presented a constitutional petition to the Constitutional Court saying, “Article 87 Clause 1 of the Local Government Law, which limits the number of terms for mayors to three, violates the right to equal access to public service and the right to equality stated in the Constitution and goes against the intended purpose of having constitutional guarantee for the local autonomy.”

Aside from Mayor Jo, Mayor Gwon Moon-yong of Seoul Gangnam-gu, Chung Young-sup of Seoul Gwangjin-gu, Park Dae-seok of Busan Yeongdo-gu, Hwang Dae-hyun of Daegu Dalseo-gu, Yu Seung-wu of Gyeonggi-do Icheon-city, Shim Gi-seob of Gangwon-do Gangneung-city, Yu Bong-yeol of Choongcheongbuk-do Okcheon-gun, Gwak In-hee of Jeollabuk-do Gimje-city, Kim Byeong-ro of Gyeongsangnam-do Jinhae-city, and others participated in this petition.

According to the current local government law, these mayors, all of whom are in their third term, cannot run for the election for the local government leadership scheduled for June 2006.

jin0619@donga.com