[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, has completed the relocation of five public institutions under the provincial government, a key project aimed at balanced regional development in the Gyeonggi area.
On the 23rd, Gyeonggi Province announced that it had selected the following cities and counties as the main offices for five provincial public institutions to promote balanced development between regions: ▲Yangju City (Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation), ▲Dongducheon City (Gyeonggi Job Foundation), ▲Yangpyeong County (Gyeonggi Market and Commercial Promotion Agency), ▲Gimpo City (Gyeonggi Environment and Energy Promotion Agency), and ▲Yeoju City (Gyeonggi Social Service Institute).
Looking at the selected regions, there are two cities/counties in northern Gyeonggi, where overlapping regulations have led to a lack of administrative infrastructure; two cities/counties in the natural conservation zone along the Han River basin, where preservation of water quality and green spaces is necessary; and one border city located south of the civilian control line under the Military Base and Military Facilities Protection Act.
The province began a three-week application process for each institution starting with the Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation at the end of June. This was followed by the first round of document screening and on-site inspections last month. Then, on the 21st and 22nd of this month, a second round of presentations (PT) was held over two days, culminating in the announcement of the final selected cities and counties on the 23rd.
The province established objective selection criteria including areas with high regulatory grades due to overlapping regulations, current locations of provincial public institutions, relevance of the institution’s work to the relocation site, accessibility including transportation infrastructure, and cooperation with provincial administration.
Additionally, separate selection committees for each institution, including external experts, were formed to ensure fairness.
The five confirmed cities and counties will develop comprehensive development plans linked to the institutions to be relocated, provide information on buildings and sites for institutional use, and establish ongoing cooperative relationships with Gyeonggi Province to facilitate the relocation process with administrative support.
Choi Won-yong, Director of the Provincial Planning and Coordination Office, promised, "We will build an organic cooperative relationship with the respective regions to enable the relocated institutions to move as quickly as possible. We will do our best to provide administrative support, guidance, and management at the provincial level so that these institutions can become landmarks in their local communities."
Regarding the institutions to be relocated, the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, responsible for employment, training support, and job policy research, was established in 2016 and is currently located on the third floor of the former Wonmi District Office building in Bucheon City.
The Gyeonggi Market and Commercial Promotion Agency, which supports small business owners and traditional market development, was established in September last year and is currently located on the fifth floor of the Suwon Convention Center.
The Gyeonggi Social Service Institute, which operates national and public social welfare facilities and provides comprehensive home care services, opened in January this year at the Gyeonggi Human Resources Development Institute in Suwon City.
The Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, which will integrate management of Gyeonggi’s public bus and other public transportation systems, and the Gyeonggi Environment and Energy Promotion Agency, responsible for fine dust reduction and the expansion of renewable energy projects, are institutions whose establishment agreements were completed in the first half of this year and are scheduled to open within the year.
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