Gwangju City: "We Cannot Miss the Golden Time for the Special Autonomous Metropolitan Union"... Urges Jeollanam-do to Make a Decision

Ordinance Approved and Contribution Allocated... "Administrative Preparations Are Complete"
Jeollanam-do Fails to Submit Ordinance and Cuts Entire Contribution
"Prompt and Responsible Decisions Needed for the Future of the Honam Region"

On December 8, Gwangju Metropolitan City urged Jeollanam-do to make a forward-looking decision, criticizing the province for failing to submit the "Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Autonomous Metropolitan Union" ordinance to the provincial council and for completely cutting the 1.5 billion won operating contribution during the budget review process. The city stated that this weakens the momentum at a critical moment for the future of the Honam region.

On August 27, the "Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Autonomous Metropolitan Union Promotion Ceremony" was held in the main conference room of Naju City Hall, Jeonnam. From the left in the photo are Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong, Chairman of the Local Era Committee Kim Kyungsoo, and Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok. Photo by Yonhap News Agency provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju City has made the Special Autonomous Metropolitan Union its top priority to address the concentration of the Seoul metropolitan area and the risk of regional extinction. In October, the city council approved the ordinance, and the city allocated a 1.5 billion won operating contribution in next year’s budget, completing both institutional and financial preparations. In contrast, Jeollanam-do has not submitted the ordinance and has cut the entire budget allocation.

Gwangju City defined the Special Autonomous Metropolitan Union as "the most effective cooperative mechanism to realize the shared interests of Gwangju and Jeonnam." The city emphasized that joint initiatives, such as the construction of the Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway, will integrate the region’s living zones and create synergies in key strategic areas, including AI infrastructure, demonstration projects, talent development, the energy industry linked to artificial sun research facilities, and follow-up measures after the relocation of the military airport.

The city also expressed concern that, amid the government’s "5 Poles 3 Special Zones" mega-regional policy, missing this "golden time" due to Jeollanam-do’s budget cuts and the postponement of the ordinance submission could cause the Honam region to lose its opportunity to secure leadership.

Gwangju City reiterated its call for Jeollanam-do to promptly process both the ordinance and the budget, stating, "Decisions must be made that prioritize the shared interests of both cities and provinces over political considerations." The city added, "We will focus all administrative resources on robust cooperation for mutual growth and advancement of the Honam region."

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