This study, titled "Strengthening Local Council Capacity through Reform of the Audit of Administrative Affairs," analyzes the limitations of the current audit system in the Gyeonggi Provincial Council and proposes reform measures to transition toward a policy-oriented audit model.
The core issue is that the present administrative audit, despite the expanded autonomy of local councils, faces structural limitations such as a lack of expertise, repetitive audits, and a short duration, which hinder its ability to provide substantive oversight.
Through an empirical analysis of 34 years of audit minutes and a survey of policy support staff, the study reveals a clear need to shift the audit paradigm from simply checking for illegal acts to focusing on policy alternatives and performance-based evaluation. The ultimate goal is to enhance the policy capacity of the local council and strengthen the democratic accountability of local administration. The research includes a comparative analysis of oversight systems in foreign local governments to derive concrete improvement plans.