Jinju Mayor and Local National Assembly Members Jointly Respond to Preserve Education Center in Jinju

Jokyuil Jinju Mayor Meets Kim Sayul, Chair of National Balanced Development Committee
Park Daechul and Kang Mingguk, Local Members of Parliament, Meet Byun Changheum, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Juyil Cho, Mayor of Jinju, is having a meeting with Sayeol Kim, Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee. (Photo by Jinju)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Mayor Jo Gyu-il of Jinju City and local members of the National Assembly have launched an all-out joint response to maintain the National Land Safety Management Institute Education Center (hereinafter referred to as the Education Center) and the Defense Industry Technology Promotion Research Institute in Jinju.

On the 9th, after meeting with Kim Sa-yeol, Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee, Mayor Jo clearly conveyed opposition to the relocation of the Education Center to Gimcheon to Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum through local National Assembly members Park Dae-chul and Kang Min-guk, and requested the center to remain in Jinju.

The plan to relocate the Education Center to Gimcheon is currently under review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and if the agenda is deliberated and passed by the National Balanced Development Committee, the final decision will be made with the approval of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Accordingly, Mayor Jo and National Assembly members Park Dae-chul and Kang Min-guk have divided roles and agreed to jointly respond by promoting meetings with the Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to keep the Education Center in Jinju.

At the meeting, Mayor Jo stated, “Submitting the plan to change the relocation without prior consultation to the Ministry of Land is a procedural problem,” and added, “Discussing re-relocation by separating the organization of a relocated public institution settled in the region goes against the purpose of national balanced development and the creation of innovation cities,” urging for the Education Center to remain in Jinju.

The National Land Safety Management Institute was launched last December with its headquarters in Jinju City after the Korea Facilities Safety Corporation absorbed the Korea Construction Safety Corporation in Gimcheon City. However, as a local relocation plan to move the Education Center to Gimcheon was submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, conflicts between Jinju and Gimcheon have intensified, with the local community voicing unified opposition to the relocation.

In this regard, last November, Mayor Jo visited the Ministry of Land and strongly expressed the need to keep the Education Center in Jinju, and in January this year, Deputy Mayor Jeong Jun-seok attended a Ministry of Land meeting to argue against the unfairness of the Education Center’s relocation.

The Jinju City Council also visited the National Land Safety Management Institute to convey opposition to the relocation of the Education Center and has continued a one-person picket protest, while the Jinju Chamber of Commerce and Industry submitted petitions to related central government departments.

A city official stated, “We will continue to respond jointly with local political circles on all fronts, and we will definitely protect the Education Center’s presence in Jinju.”

The Education Center, which hosts about 4,000 trainees annually, has a significant impact on the local economy, with nine nearby lodging facilities operating about 500 rooms and approximately 430 restaurants. There are concerns that relocating to Gimcheon would cause the innovation city to become hollowed out.

They also explained the necessity of maintaining the Defense Industry Technology Promotion Research Institute, which was separated as an affiliated institution from the Defense Technology Quality Institute, and requested cooperation to ensure it settles well in the region.

In response, the Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee expressed sympathy for the feasibility of settling in Jinju as the first case nationwide of a public institution being separated and emphasized communication with the relocated public institutions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.