2026.10.07. The Fair Economy — Kim Jae-nam, Speaker of the Incheon Namdong-gu Council, presented both cooperation and checks as the principles for operating the 10th Assembly. He judged that while the ruling and opposition parties should find common ground through prior deliberation, the council must play a clear supervisory role when administrative actions fail to sufficiently reflect residents' opinions. Key tasks also include improving expenditure structures to resolve fiscal difficulties, enhancing the efficiency of public fund management, resolving grievances on-site, and strengthening expertise by utilizing artificial intelligence in administrative audits.
On his 100th day in office, Chairman Kim Jae-nam reiterated to reporters on the 7th that "empathy" and "checks" are the core keywords for council operations.
He stressed the principle of gathering opinions from all 18 council members regardless of party affiliation or term count, and not offering unconditional cooperation to the executive branch. He maintained this same stance even after being elected as Speaker for the first half of the 10th Assembly by unanimous vote of the 18 members in July this year. Since taking the role, he has continued to treat cooperation as the starting point for council operations.
Speaker Kim explained that the speaker's position is not one that stands above the members, but rather a role that leverages each member's capabilities to harmonize differing opinions into one. In August, he emphasized mutual respect and responsible governance, announcing plans to strengthen pre-review and public reporting of official overseas training trips. Following this, the Namdong-gu Council decided to cancel its official overseas travel schedule for this year and return the related budget.
During his term as a 9th-term council member, Speaker Kim proposed an ordinance to inspect the operation of public funds and interest income, contributing to the expansion of Namdong-gu's interest income. He explained that as a result of these activities, the district earned over 12 billion won in interest income over the two years of 2023 and 2024. However, he expressed regret that the difficult fiscal conditions prevented sufficient accumulation as stabilization funds. Given the large amounts for privately commissioned projects and mandatory welfare expenditures, he judged that new revenue sources must be found and the expenditure structure adjusted.
Chair Kim stressed the importance of examining both the field and data. He added that since the 9th term, he has valued the approach of verifying complaints on-site and coordinating between residents and public officials. In February this year, he promoted revisions to ordinances related to protecting the rights of mobile workers, resident autonomy, and support for small business owners.
Last month, he led the first regular session to review the final accounts, supplemental budget revisions, and organizational restructuring plan. He also conducted training on using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for administrative audits, enhancing capabilities in information retrieval, data analysis, and query verification.
Speaker Kim's entry into politics began with sports administration. After graduating from the Department of Tourism at Chunnam Techno University, he continued local activities as secretary-general of the Namdong-gu Football Association and director of the Sports Council. He received a proposal to run for office ahead of the 2022 local elections and became a first-term district council member.
He said he initially hesitated because he lacked political experience at the time, but his wife's encouragement strengthened his resolve. Now in his second term, he has broadened his perspective beyond his electoral district to oversee the overall affairs of Namdong-gu.
He emphasized that cooperation is "different from simply not fighting." It means that matters subject to agreement should be thoroughly discussed, but when issues bypass resident input or are pushed forward for administrative convenience, the council must fulfill its proper role. He stressed that if the executive fails to gain the council’s empathy, stronger oversight and checks become inevitable.
Finally, he promised, "The 'working council' envisioned by the 10th council should be evaluated not by the number of meetings or speeches but by outcomes evident in residents’ daily lives," and added, "We will continue to strive for regional development."
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