Chungnam, Korea's First 'Local Government Association' Established

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The first local government association in Korea will be established in Chungnam. The association will be responsible for the integrated operation and management of public facilities within Naepo New Town, the Chungnam Innovation City.

On the 13th, Chungnam Province announced that the 'Chungnam Innovation City Local Government Association,' jointly promoted by the province and Hongseong and Yesan counties, has received establishment approval from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The association is a kind of cooperative governance body established to maintain and manage Naepo New Town as a single living zone, provide integrated administrative services, and foster Naepo New Town as a central hub in the Yellow Sea Rim through attracting public institutions.

In particular, this association is the first case in Korea to be established with both metropolitan and basic local governments, raising expectations that it will present a new administrative model by resolving conflicts between local governments and responding rationally to joint issues.

Following the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's approval, the province plans to organize and operate the association with 23 personnel under the command of a headquarters chief (one secretary-level official), consisting of 2 divisions and 6 teams.

First, during the regular personnel appointment in January next year, the province will finalize five association members including the headquarters chief in consultation with Hongseong and Yesan counties. Through them, the association will accelerate establishment registration, preparation of various operational regulations, and confirmation of revenue budgets.

Then, by March, the remaining personnel will be dispatched to complete the organizational framework of the association and officially launch its operations with an inauguration ceremony.

In this process, the previously separately operated Innovation City Landscape Team of the provincial government office, the New Town Facility Management Office of Hongseong County, and the Naepo Cultural Office of Yesan County will be integrated into one. The province explained that while functions will be adjusted during the organizational integration, there will be no additional personnel increase.

In the first year, the association's operating expenses will be borne one-third by the province, with the remaining expenses divided between Hongseong County at 76% and Yesan County at 24%.

However, from 2023 onward, the province and Hongseong and Yesan counties have agreed on a principle to recalculate and determine the contribution ratio based on the previous year's population and area.

Also, the automatic waste collection facility in Naepo New Town operated by the association will have half of its operating costs supported by the province, but the province's financial support for maintenance, repair, demolition, closure, and reinstallation will be separately negotiated, according to the province's explanation.

The main tasks of the association include ▲ operation and support of resident autonomous activities ▲ promotion of various ceremonial events and local festivals ▲ maintenance, management, and operation of public facilities and infrastructure such as roads, rivers, parks, green spaces, plazas, public lands, and street trees ▲ consultation on public transportation plans and introduction and operation of circular buses ▲ maintenance, management, and operation of joint utility tunnels ▲ architectural landscape review, consultation on outdoor advertisements, and approval consultation for housing construction projects ▲ consultation and coordination on district unit plan changes ▲ support for attracting universities, hospitals, public institutions, companies, and organizations.

A provincial official said, “The association is a kind of cooperative governance body between local governments established to fundamentally resolve inconveniences experienced by residents when managing Naepo New Town divided into two zones (Hongseong and Yesan). The province will assist the stable settlement and efficient operation of the association in its early stages so that the association can serve as a catalyst for revitalizing Naepo New Town in the future.”

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