Namyangju, a city in Gyeonggi Province, has begun a full-scale overhaul of its administrative framework in preparation for becoming a special city of one million residents.
The city held a kickoff meeting Wednesday for its administrative district reform study, launching discussions on administrative reorganization to address rapid population growth and changes in urban structure, officials said. The Gyeonggi Research Institute will conduct the study through December.
The research was initiated to proactively respond to surging administrative demand driven by large-scale projects, including the Wangsuk 1 and 2 public housing districts, the Jinjeop 2 district, and the Yangjeong Station Area development. Populations in some towns and neighborhoods such as Hwado-eup, Dasan 1-dong, Jinjeop-eup, and Byeollae-dong have reached 80,000 to 110,000, creating an urgent need to streamline administrative services.
The study will comprehensively review measures including the adjustment of administrative neighborhoods, the operation of a responsible town and neighborhood system, the feasibility of conversion to general districts (gu), administrative boundary adjustments, and methods for gathering residents' opinions. It will particularly focus on analyzing the possibility of dividing and establishing new districts in densely populated areas and administrative reorganization plans for newly developed areas such as Wangsuk New Town.
Conversion to general districts is expected to be a key task if Namyangju is designated as a special city of one million. Special city status is granted to major cities with populations exceeding one million and expands administrative and fiscal autonomy. Namyangju's population currently stands at about 750,000 and is expected to surpass one million once residents begin moving into Wangsuk New Town in earnest.
"This research is an important starting point for designing Namyangju's future over the next 100 years," said Kim Sang-soo, acting mayor of Namyangju. "We will do our utmost to lay the foundation for becoming a special city of one million."
