Yoon "Will Support Strengthening Local Government Capabilities"... First Attendance at World Local Governments Assembly

Congratulatory Speech at UCLG Daejeon Congress
President Yoon: "Local Governments Must Have Authority and Responsibility to Find Their Own Growth Engines"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 12th, President Yoon Seok-yeol stated, "We will actively support local governments to further strengthen their financial capabilities and establish themselves as key players on the international stage." The intention is to enhance the competitiveness of local governments, which are the original driving force, for national competitiveness.

President Yoon made these remarks during his congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) General Assembly held at the 2nd Exhibition Hall of Daejeon Convention Center that morning. UCLG, which has 240,000 local governments from 140 countries and 175 related organizations as members, is the only international organization of local governments recognized by the United Nations. President Yoon attended the UCLG General Assembly for the first time as a Korean president.

The General Assembly, held every three years in different cities, discusses local government issues and development directions and presents practical measures. This event was held under the theme "Cities of Citizens Overcoming Crises and Moving Toward the Future."

Regarding the theme of this General Assembly, President Yoon emphasized, "The pandemic and climate change crises demand not only solidarity among nations but also stronger solidarity among local governments," adding, "We have once again confirmed the very important role of local governments during the COVID-19 crisis."

He further stressed, "Sharing the experiences of local governments worldwide, which have worked hard and dedicated themselves closest to the citizens, will be a great strength in overcoming not only another pandemic but also humanity’s challenges such as climate change."

Having emphasized freedom and solidarity in various commemorative and congratulatory speeches, President Yoon also said at this General Assembly, "I hope that solidarity among local governments centered on UCLG will greatly contribute to expanding the freedom of the international community and global citizens."

The presidential office reported that President Yoon requested support from over 1,200 participants from various countries for the bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

On the UCLG side, co-presidents including the mayors of The Hague, Netherlands; Konya, T?rkiye; Xi’an, China; San Jos?, Costa Rica; and Emilia Saiz, UCLG Secretary-General, attended the event.

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