[Desk Column] The Long Road Ahead for the Relocation of Public Institutions in Gyeonggi-do

Regional balanced development is an eternal challenge for the Republic of Korea. Gyeonggi-do is also divided north and south by the Han River and east and west along the Gyeongbu Line, deepening regional imbalances. To address this, Gyeonggi-do has taken out the 'knife' of relocating public institutions. The plan is to move public institutions to underdeveloped areas to strengthen the regional economy's capillaries and thereby promote balanced development between regions.

As its first project, in 2019, Gyeonggi-do relocated three institutions?the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, and Gyeonggi Lifelong Education Promotion Agency?to the 'Goyang Tourism and Culture Complex' located in northern Gyeonggi's Goyang. The following year, in 2020, it announced the relocation of the main offices of the Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, Gyeonggi Job Foundation, Gyeonggi Market and Commercial Promotion Agency, Gyeonggi Environment and Energy Promotion Agency, and Gyeonggi Social Service Agency to Yangju, Dongducheon, Yangpyeong, Gimpo, and Yeoju, respectively. Last year, seven more key public institutions?the Gyeonggi Research Institute, Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation, Gyeonggi Economic Science Promotion Agency, Gyeonggi Agriculture and Fisheries Promotion Agency, Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation, Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation, and Gyeonggi Women and Family Foundation?were added to the list of institutions to be relocated.

However, the relocation process of these institutions has not progressed as quickly as expected since Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung stepped down to run for president. Currently, among the 15 institutions targeted for relocation, only four?the Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, Gyeonggi Market and Commercial Promotion Agency, Gyeonggi Environment and Energy Promotion Agency, and Gyeonggi Agriculture and Fisheries Promotion Agency?have completed their moves. The Gyeonggi Social Service Agency aims to relocate in the first half of this year. All these institutions are either newly established or have been in operation for about one to two years. Strictly speaking, there has been no substantial 'relocation' yet.

While these institutions agree in principle with the overall goal of regional balanced development through public institution relocation, they still resist the specifics.

They first point out procedural flaws. To decide on relocation, the institutions must persuade their boards of directors, amend their articles of incorporation, and obtain approvals, but these procedures were ignored, and the process was rushed as if 'roasting beans under a lightning fire.'

Voices have also been raised about administrative efficiency. For efficient administration, mutual communication is important, but if institutions are located far apart, it inevitably affects project implementation and other activities.

Claims of infringement on the basic rights of employees have also emerged. Employees argue that as workers, they have the right to choose their residence and the freedom to select their jobs, but the relocation is being pushed unilaterally without considering these rights. Complaints peak especially when the issue shifts to children's education.

Meanwhile, the upcoming simultaneous local elections in June are expected to become a new variable in Gyeonggi-do's public institution relocation. Depending on the perspective of the new Gyeonggi governor regarding the existing relocation plans, a different situation from the current one may unfold. If the relocation process is reconsidered from scratch, administrative confusion will inevitably increase. There is strong opposition from the heads of local governments in underdeveloped areas that have succeeded in attracting institutions. They have heavily promoted institution attraction as their achievements. The fairness between institutions already relocated to underdeveloped areas and those yet to be relocated due to policy reversals is also a contentious issue.

Gyeonggi-do regards the relocation of institutions as an indispensable card for regional balanced development and does not see a high possibility of policy reversal. The 13.8 million residents of Gyeonggi-do are now watching closely to see whether the public institution relocation, which Gyeonggi-do has taken out to promote regional balanced development, can achieve a 'soft landing.'

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