The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results and to suggest improvement of planning empowerment for rational urban planning system. Since the execution of local autonomy regime in 1995, empowerment of urban planning has been shifted continuously from central government to local government, especially to the metropolitan city and the provincial government. The results of this study show that in 2000's, the empowerment transfer to local government processed rapidly and brought forth some negative or positive effects of urban planning in local cities such as unplanned and sprawl development, unmatching plan with neighboring city. Finally, on the basis of Korean planing system, this study proposes that cooperative planning system between central government and local government, organization of urban planning standing office, assessment and monitoring for empowerment in local city and planning permission should be adopted in urban planning law.