'Decision Deferred After Debate'... Long Road Ahead for 'Border Area Support Special Act' Amendment Plan

First Half of the Year 'Jeopgyeong Jiyok Sijang Gunsu Hyupuihoe' Held... 17 Proposals Confirmed

2021 First Half Year Border Area Mayors and Governors Council [Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] At the regular meeting of the Border Area Mayors and County Heads Council held on the 21st in Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do, the heads of 10 affiliated cities and counties engaged in heated discussions on countermeasures for the 'Amendment to the Special Act on Support for Border Areas,' but the decision was postponed.

The proposed amendment, introduced last July by Han Ki-ho, a member of the People Power Party (Gangwon Chuncheon-si, Cheorwon-gun, Hwacheon-gun, Yanggu-gun constituency), is currently pending in the Subcommittee on Bills of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee.

On this day, the heads continued discussions on measures such as commissioning legislative support services to a law firm, holding roundtable meetings inviting members of the National Assembly, delivering petitions, advertisements, and symposiums, but no conclusion was reached.

Therefore, if the 10 cities and counties come up with new measures in the future, the council is likely to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss them again.

The agenda to promote a service for discovering development projects for the border area using the Balanced National Development Fund was approved as originally proposed.

The heads agreed to recommend to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety projects such as resolving energy use imbalance between urban and rural areas this year and income generation and infrastructure establishment through hub development, based on the results of the commissioned service.

The agenda to establish the Presidential Office-affiliated South-North Peace Cooperation Zone Preservation and Development Agency was also approved as originally proposed.

The cities and counties plan to propose to the government the establishment of the South-North Peace Cooperation Zone (DMZ) Development Agency, a dedicated organization for border area development, and the creation of a separate Balanced National Development Fund account (border area cities and counties account) directly allocated by ministries, similar to the accounts for Sejong and Jeju Special Self-Governing Cities and Provinces.

Additionally, the 'Business Agreement for Win-Win Cooperation to Revitalize Border Area Tourism' includes policies such as joint discounts on tourism facility usage fees and continuous exploration of mutually cooperative areas.

Accordingly, the border area cities and counties decided to reduce cultural and tourism facility usage fees to a level comparable to that for residents and citizens.

Furthermore, the council finalized 17 agendas to propose to the government and the National Assembly, including the construction of the Sokcho-Goseong highway, and decided to hold the next meeting, scheduled around September to October, in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, according to the rotation system.

Jo In-mook, chairman of the council (Yanggu-gun governor), said, "We have been actively working to resolve border area issues by proposing amendments to the Special Act on Support for Border Areas, expanding financial support for special situation area development projects, and establishing dedicated organizations, and we will continue to do our best for this purpose."