Kim Byung-joon Visits Gwangju: "Driving Balanced Development... Breaking Unreasonable Structures"

Transition Team Holds 'Policy Task Public Report'... Promises 7 Major Pledges Including AI and Complex Shopping Malls

On the afternoon of the 4th, attendees including Chairman Kim Byung-joon and Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop are taking a commemorative photo at the Gwangju-Jeonnam Public Report Meeting of the Presidential Transition Committee's Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development, held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Kim Byung-joon, Chairman of the 20th Presidential Transition Committee’s Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development, emphasized on the 4th, "We will correct the irrational and abnormal structures that have been wrong until now through balanced development policies."

Chairman Kim made this statement during the 'Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional Policy Task Public Report Meeting' held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City on the afternoon of the same day.

He said, "No matter where you live, anyone should be able to live well if they try. However, the value of the assets I have changes just because of where I was educated or where I live."

He added, "If job opportunities differ and even discrimination occurs in matters such as marriage, it cannot be considered normal."

Chairman Kim pointed out, "It might be the first time that an organization like the Balanced Development Committee is created and activated during the government transition stage to solve such problems," adding, "This is evidence of how serious the imbalance problem is."

Furthermore, he emphasized, "Balanced development issues have no ruling or opposition party, no left or right, no progressive or conservative. Imbalance itself is neither justice nor fairness. It cannot be accepted as common sense."

The Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development pledged seven major promises for the Gwangju-Jeonnam region on the same day.

The promises for the Gwangju area include ▲ Gwangju as the representative city of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Korea ▲ Establishment of a future mobility leading city ▲ Construction of the Gwangju-Yeongam Expressway and Dalbit Expressway ▲ Promotion of military airport relocation ▲ Establishment of the Southwest Nuclear Medical Center ▲ Establishment of the May 18 International Institute for Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights ▲ Attraction of a complex shopping mall in Gwangju.

The 15 policy tasks supporting the realization of these promises include the creation of an AI semiconductor specialized complex, establishment of an AI gifted high school, creation of a future car materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, establishment of a testbed for autonomous vehicles and high-performance supercars, and completion of the Dalbit high-speed railway within the term.

In Jeonnam, the plans include ▲ Creation of an eco-friendly renewable energy industrial belt ▲ Establishment of the Goheung space and aviation industry cluster ▲ Expansion of the metropolitan high-speed transportation network ▲ Development of Gwangyang Port as a global smart port ▲ Development of Muan International Airport as a gateway airport ▲ Creation of an advanced medical complex and food bio valley ▲ Establishment of a marine ecological tourism and leisure belt on the southwest coast.

The 15 policy tasks for this include creation of a carbon-neutral cluster, construction of renewable energy industrial complexes and power plants, establishment of a space launch vehicle industry cluster, Iksan-Yeosu Jeolla Line high-speed railway, expansion of the Jeonnam-Gwangju high-speed transportation network, establishment of an eco-friendly K-Food and export platform, and construction of the Dadohae Sunshine Way marine tourism road.