Kim Hak-hong, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk, "Low Growth, Youth Unemployment, and Regional Extinction Caused by Concentration in the Capital Area"

Gumi University Invited Special Lecture

'Urgent Need for a Major Shift in the Local Era'

Gumi University hosted a special lecture on the 16th, invited by Kim Hak-hong, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province.

The lecture, titled "Republic of Korea, Change the Game - The Great Transition to the Local Era," presented directions for university and youth policies at the turning point of government policies ushering in the local era.

About 200 Gumi University students attended the lecture held at the main auditorium of Gumi University.

Deputy Governor Kim stated that Korea has achieved remarkable growth from being a recipient of aid to a donor country, but now faces several challenges such as low birth rates, aging population, weak social capital, and low potential growth rates. He pointed to causes including low growth, youth unemployment, and local extinction due to concentration and uniformity centered on the metropolitan area.

Kim Hak-hong, Gyeongbuk Provincial Governor, giving a special lecture at Gumi University.

Analyzing cases from advanced countries such as the United States and Germany, Deputy Governor Kim proposed a "pivot to the local era" as a solution. He explained key tasks including the integration of metropolitan-scale economic zones, the necessity of regional innovation ecosystems (local revitalization projects), strengthening local government authority, and the opening of an era of national happiness.

In particular, he emphasized establishing a university support system led by local governments for a major shift in university and youth policies, and introduced in detail the Gyeongbuk-type youth job creation project and support cases, which received enthusiastic responses from the students.

Ahn Hee-ju, a third-year student in the Department of Social Welfare at Gumi University, said, "It was a great opportunity to learn about youth job support and youth policies. My interest in activities and roles participating in local community development has increased with the advent of the local era."

Deputy Governor Kim, who entered public service in 1992 after passing the 35th Administrative Examination, is an administrative expert from Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk. He has held key positions such as Director of Private Cooperation at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Regional Innovation Policy Officer, and Head of the Autonomy Planning Division at the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy.

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