Yoon Visits Busan: Promotes 'Three Major Local Era Livelihood Packages' Linking Jobs, Talent, and Living Environment

The 11th 'Minsheng Discussion with the People'

President Yoon Suk-yeol held the first public discussion forum on livelihood issues in a non-capital region on the 13th, hosting it in Busan Metropolitan City. He announced a bold push for the 'Three Major Livelihood Packages for the Local Era' policy, linking jobs, talent, and living environment.

On the same day, President Yoon held the eleventh 'Public Discussion Forum with the People' at Busan City Hall under the theme 'Busan Opens the Local Era Wide,' stating plans to jointly explore measures for balanced regional development and revitalization of local areas.

President Yoon declared the Local Era in Busan on September 14 last year and announced a comprehensive plan for the Local Era in Daejeon in November of the same year. He then selected Busan as the first region for the local livelihood discussion forum.

At this forum, participants discussed the Busan model of the Local Era livelihood package policy, linking economy (SOC, jobs, investment), welfare (culture and sports, medical care, convenience of life), and education (talent development, specialized education).

In his opening remarks, President Yoon said that concentration in the metropolitan area and excessive competition are serious causes of low birth rates, emphasizing that restoring the total fertility rate to 1.0 through balanced regional development is more important than ever. He also stressed that "regional competitiveness is national competitiveness," and pledged to boldly promote the 'Three Major Livelihood Packages for the Local Era' policy linking jobs, talent, and living environment so that the people can truly feel the Local Era.

President Yoon emphasized enacting the 'Global Hub City Special Act' to develop Busan as the southern region's central axis and a base for logistics, finance, and advanced industries. He pledged to steadily push forward projects such as the construction of Gadeokdo New Airport, redevelopment of the North Port, relocation of the Korea Development Bank, and development of Centum 2 District to enhance Busan's global competitiveness and make it a stepping stone for South Korea's leap forward.

Furthermore, President Yoon stated, "To open a true Local Era, it is essential not only to focus on industry and jobs but also to drastically improve living conditions in the region, including education, medical care, and culture, thereby significantly enhancing quality of life." He promised to create education development special zones led by local governments and education offices, such as autonomous public high schools and K-pop high schools, to establish a virtuous cycle where talented individuals educated locally contribute to regional development.

He continued, "Creating an environment where parents can raise children with peace of mind is also a crucial task," pledging support for the establishment of a Busan Children's Hospital to strengthen the public health care system for children. He also expressed determination to open a global cultural market representing South Korea by reconstructing and redeveloping Sajik Stadium and Gudeok Stadium, linking them with existing cultural infrastructure like the Busan Cinema Center.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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