Growing Interest in Whether Gangwon Region's 'Gangwon Economic Special Self-Governing Province' Will Be Adopted as a New Government National Task

Transition Team Explicitly Requests Ministry of the Interior and Safety to Establish Gangwon Economic Special Self-Governing Province
President-Elect Yoon Seok-yeol to Announce National Tasks Directly from May 4 to 9 Before Inauguration

Choi Bok-su, Vice Governor of Gangwon Province (far right in the photo), and Park Cheon-su, Director of Planning and Coordination Office, visited the Presidential Transition Committee on the 31st of last month and had a meeting with Kim Byung-jun, Chairman of the Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development (center in the photo). [Gangwon-do]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Interest is growing in the Gangwon region regarding the inclusion of the "Establishment of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province" among the seven major pledges requested to the 20th Presidential Transition Committee for reflection in the next government's national agenda.

According to the province on the 5th, during the recent work report process of 54 government ministries, the transition committee explicitly requested the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to establish the Gangwon Economic Special Self-Governing Province.

The background of this is analyzed to be due to the Gangwon district lawmakers, including Kwon Seong-dong, Lee Cheol-gyu, and Lee Yang-su, who led the creation of the new administration, drawing the attention of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol to the need for compensation for the long-neglected Gangwon region.

The transition committee plans to finalize the proposal regarding the establishment of the Gangwon Economic Special Self-Governing Province by the 25th.

Then, on the 2nd of next month, the final national agenda will be reported at the plenary meeting, and President-elect Yoon plans to directly announce the national agenda between May 4 and 9, before his inauguration.

Earlier, during the presidential election period, President-elect Yoon promised not only the Gangwon Economic Special Self-Governing Province but also the expansion of regional SOC such as highways, railroads, and ports, as well as fostering region-specific new growth industries (Chuncheon data industry, Wonju digital healthcare, northern Gangwon smart farms and tourism, southern Gangwon hydrogen energy, forestry industry, etc.).

On the 31st of last month, Executive Vice Governor Choi Bok-su visited the transition committee and the National Assembly to request the inclusion of 40 Gangwon regional pledges and key local issues, including the establishment of the special self-governing province, in the new government's national agenda.

On the 21st, the province launched the "New Government National Agenda Task Force," led by Executive Vice Governor Choi Bok-su, and is conducting all-out efforts to prioritize the inclusion of Gangwon's key issues in the national agenda.

Accordingly, a meeting between President-elect Yoon and the governors of cities and provinces nationwide is scheduled for the 6th, drawing attention to whether the establishment of the special self-governing province will be discussed.