"The Name I Would Die Calling, Gijang Urban Convergence Special Zone" Third Solo Protest Led by County Governor

Oguseok, Gijang County Mayor, Holds Solo Picket Protest in Front of Busan City Hall to Attract Special Zone

Third Solo Protest Following Last Month's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Demonstration: "Called a Pilot Project"

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Busan Gijang County Governor Oh Gyuseok is holding a one-person protest at 12 noon on the 25th in front of Busan City Hall, demanding the attraction of an urban convergence special zone to the Southeast Industrial Complex. Photo by Kim Yongwoo

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] This is already the third time the county governor has taken to a one-person street protest to achieve this single goal.

Among the head local government officials who become unstoppable once a goal is set, it is hard to find anyone as persistent as him nationwide.

The earnest goal, reminiscent of the phrase “a name I would call until I die,” is the “Urban Convergence Special Zone.”

Among Busan’s 16 districts and counties, Oh Gyu-seok, the governor of the only county, Gijang-gun, is that persistent figure. Why is Gijang-gun so desperate to secure the Urban Convergence Special Zone?

At noon on the 25th, Governor Oh was standing in front of the main entrance of Busan City Hall holding a wooden plank picket sign. It was lunchtime, so city officials and visitors were fairly active around City Hall.

Although a one-person protest by a public official is already well-known as a “regular” tactic of local government heads, this protest was the third time he has carried out this action under the banner of attracting the Urban Convergence Special Zone.

Regarding the designation process of the Urban Convergence Special Zone being promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Busan City, he once again took to the streets to earnestly appeal for the Urban Convergence Special Zone to be secured in the “Gijang-gun Southeast Radiation Medical and Science General Industrial Complex.”

Following one-person protests at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on February 24 and March 19, this third protest shifted focus to Busan City.

Governor Oh urged Busan City, which holds the authority to recommend candidate sites for the Urban Convergence Special Zone, to recommend the “Southeast Industrial Complex” as the top candidate through an objective evaluation based on precise criteria and standards, considering all locational conditions and infrastructure.

Governor Oh repeatedly emphasized, “The core of the ongoing metropolitan city Urban Convergence Special Zone is the pilot project.” This is because the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced last September that it plans to review strong candidate sites equipped with infrastructure ready to immediately implement the project as Urban Convergence Special Zones under the banner of “pilot projects.”

Governor Oh argues, “Gijang-gun can immediately proceed with the Urban Convergence Special Zone project in the Southeast Radiation Medical and Science General Industrial Complex area, which covers 1,478,772 square meters (about 450,000 pyeong) and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, with a county budget investment of 319.7 billion KRW.”

The reason Gijang-gun is so anxious is because they believe Busan City has a different idea. Busan City is planning an advanced urban industrial complex in the Centum 2 district of Haeundae-gu and has recommended this site alongside the Gijang Southeast Industrial Complex as multiple candidates, placing the former higher in the recommendation order.

Governor Oh firmly states that the only place fitting the purpose of the “pilot project” is the Gijang Southeast Industrial Complex.

“The Southeast Industrial Complex is a large-scale innovative industrial complex leading South Korea’s radiation medical and science fields, with major national projects underway such as the export-oriented new research reactor development project, the heavy ion accelerator treatment center project, the radioactive isotope convergence research infrastructure project, and the power semiconductor industry cluster creation project,” Governor Oh proudly declares.

He also said, “Along with excellent transportation infrastructure, the area has a newly developed city with a population of 120,000, Ilgwang and Imrang beaches, Osiria tourism complex, Gijang Ceramic Tourism Healing Village, Busan Comprehensive Film Studio, Busan’s largest complex shopping mall, and all cultural, recreational, and commercial infrastructure are already established, creating outstanding living conditions.”

He insists that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Busan City should judge the Urban Convergence Special Zone project based on policy and economic logic rather than political considerations to ensure its successful establishment.

The “Urban Convergence Special Zone” is a project modeled after the “Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley” to create special zones in the downtown areas of major provincial cities (Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan) equipped with excellent mixed infrastructure for industry, residence, and culture. It is a large-scale national balanced development project promoted through cooperation between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and related ministries.

This is why the “Urban Convergence Special Zone” is the name that Gijang-gun and Governor Oh have “called until they die.”

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