지방자치제도에 있어 행정구역 개편의 법적 문제 - 일본의 행정구역 개편논의를 중심으로 -

In recent years, the administrative district reform of local government has surfaced once again as one of the most sensitive political and legal issue in Korea. The administrative district of local government is regional unit of local autonomy and living quarter of the resident, namely, the administrative district is a substantial element in local autonomy. Consequently, is the restructuring of administrative districts not simply political issue but legal issue,because local self-governing system is legal system guaranted by the Constitution. But the recent discussion on the administrative district reform seems to have some legal problems in the substantial and procedural aspect. The purpose of this study is to reexamine on the directions and criteria of the recent discussion on the administrative district reform in Korea by comparison of the experience in Japan's administrative district reform. It is undeniable that the decentralization refoms underway in Japan have highly impacts on Korea's refom dirives for decentralization. The integrations even called by Heisei grand-integration in Japan having started in the early 1990s is the decentralization movements driven by a series of political reforms. Since 1999, the total number of Japanese municipalities has decreased by more than 1,400 bacause of political and administrative mergers among them. Consequently, the experience in Japan where local self-governing system is similar with our country becomes meaningful reference.