"Balanced National Development and Honam Innovation Growth" Policy Discussion Held in Gwangju

The Glocal Policy Research Institute held a policy discussion on the theme of "Balanced National Development Policy of the 5th Five-Year National Sovereignty Government and Innovation Growth Strategy for the Honam Region" at the multipurpose auditorium of Jeonil Building 245 in Gwangju on the afternoon of August 25.

Policy Discussion Web Poster: "Balanced National Development Policy of the 5th Five-Year National Sovereignty Government and Innovation Growth Strategy for the Honam Region"

Kangrae Ma, a professor at Chung-Ang University who delivered the keynote presentation, diagnosed that "discussions on ultra-wide-area strategies have clearly emerged" and identified the following tasks: responding to changes in the industrial structure of the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, preparing for a transportation revolution in the southern region, rationalizing and readjusting special zones, and reforming ultra-wide-area strategies and administrative systems.

Daeseong Kim, Director of the Social Policy Research Office at the Jeonnam Research Institute, pointed out, "Without an institutional foundation such as legal provisions, the formation of special local governments or the integration of administrative districts remains a distant goal," and stressed, "Any form of integration led by political statements from local government heads without sufficient discussion is bound to fail."

Juseop Oh, Secretary-General of the Gwangju Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, emphasized, "The Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance, which will be declared on August 27, is highly likely to remain a political declaration," and added, "We must learn from the failures of other local governments that have gone before us."

Jangseop Byun, Deputy Director of the Regional Development Research Institute at Chonnam National University, stated, "For the development of ultra-wide-area regions, industrial policies based on inter-regional linkage structures are necessary."

In Gwangju Buk-gu, District Mayor In Moon argued, "To ensure the stable implementation of comprehensive administration in the early stages, a 'Metropolitan Administrative Office' should be established to unify the cooperation system with the central government," and further asserted, "Specialized development plans should, in the long term, take into account the formation of two major economic zones in the northern and southern parts of the Korean Peninsula."

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