Kim Kyung-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Local Era, declared on the 3rd that "a major transformation has begun to restructure the Seoul-concentrated growth model into a system where the entire nation advances together," adding that "we are now at a stage where we must prove results beyond planning."
The Presidential Committee on Local Era held a joint workshop at HJ Business Center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on the afternoon of the 3rd, with principal and expert committee members in attendance, to review regional decentralization and balanced development policies pursued since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The workshop focused on discussing the implementation status of the government's "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones Balanced Growth Strategy," regional execution plans, and supplementary tasks.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Kim stated, "We have redefined local areas not as targets of support but as strategic assets that will lead Korea's future growth, and placed balanced development at the center of the national growth strategy." He cited post-launch achievements including: elevating local-led growth to the government's top priority; completing the 5 Poles, 3 Special Zones balanced growth blueprint within 100 days of launch; activating a pan-government implementation system within six months; and transitioning to a "local-led growth structure" linking administrative integration discussions with bold government support.
He also emphasized, "We have specified mega-regional strategies encompassing economic and living zones, and prepared growth engine packages combining industry, talent, R&D, finance, and regulations," adding that "we have designed a growth structure that actually works, not just rhetoric." He continued, "By activating the pan-government implementation system, we have integrated each ministry's core projects under the national spatial transformation strategy. Balanced growth is no longer an individual ministry project but a task that moves the entire government system together."
Regarding ongoing discussions on administrative integration and regional alliances between cities and provinces, he assessed that "the growth landscape is changing through a method where local areas move first and the government firmly backs them." He stated, "Going forward, the key task is to create changes that citizens can feel in their daily lives," adding that "we will connect regional development strategies to corporate investment, jobs, and improved living conditions to generate tangible results."
Chairman Kim also said, "The Presidential Committee on Local Era will accelerate implementation by strengthening its execution monitoring and collaboration coordination functions as a policy coordination axis connecting central and local governments." The workshop featured in-depth discussions on the 5 Poles, 3 Special Zones implementation status, regional execution strategies, and supplementary tasks in the process. The committee plans to manage the entire process from planning to execution to results, steadfastly pursue the local-led growth paradigm, and concentrate its capabilities to ensure balanced growth operates in actual regional settings.