Jinju City Attends National Assembly Forum on Innovation City Development... Highlights the Role of Innovation Cities

"Second Phase of Public Institution Relocations Should Be Centered on Existing Innovation Cities"

Jinju City in Gyeongnam Province announced on May 14 that it reaffirmed its position at the “National Assembly Forum for Fostering and Developing Innovation Cities,” held at the 3rd Seminar Room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, that the second relocation of public institutions should be promoted primarily in existing innovation cities.

The forum was co-hosted by the National Innovation City (Zone) Council and the National Innovation City Labor Union Council. Attendees included representatives from the 11 innovation cities nationwide, labor unions, and National Assembly members, who discussed the direction for developing innovation cities and policy tasks for balanced national development.

The participants agreed that, following the first phase of public institution relocations, innovation cities have played a key role as regional growth hubs by improving residential conditions and strengthening industrial infrastructure. However, they also acknowledged that further efforts are needed to invigorate industry-academia-research clusters and attract related companies.

[Photo provided by Jinju City] Jinju City participated in the "National Assembly Discussion for the Promotion and Development of Innovative Cities" held on the 14th at the 3rd Seminar Room of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, emphasizing the principle that the second relocation of public institutions should be promoted mainly around existing innovative cities.

In particular, opinions were voiced that focusing the second phase of public institution relocations on existing innovation cities, rather than developing new locations, is a practical alternative to enhance policy efficiency and regional growth.

The forum also highlighted that utilizing the infrastructure already established in innovation cities for additional relocations can reduce redundant investments and administrative inefficiencies, while maximizing the effects of the first phase of relocations to achieve balanced regional development.

On the other hand, concerns were raised that dispersing public institution relocations to areas outside innovation cities could cause confusion in the process of establishing residential conditions and implementing support policies, thereby weakening policy consistency.

Accordingly, the participants reached a consensus on the need to realize economies of scale by centering public institution relocations on existing innovation cities and spreading the positive outcomes to surrounding areas.

At the forum, the National Innovation City (Zone) Council and the National Innovation City Labor Union Council jointly adopted a “Proposal for a Major Shift in Policy Paradigm for Fostering and Developing Innovation Cities Toward a New Era.”

The proposal includes: expanding budgetary and institutional support to strengthen the self-sufficiency functions of innovation cities; adhering to the principles of public institution relocation and concentrating investments in innovation cities; establishing a consultative body between the government and labor unions for democratic governance; and supporting additional relocations of public institutions and the attraction of companies focused on innovation cities.

A Jinju City official who attended the forum said, “This forum once again confirmed the consensus that the second relocation of public institutions should be centered on existing innovation cities,” and added, “We will do our utmost to prepare for the second phase of public institution relocations in close cooperation with Gyeongnam Province.”

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