Changwon Special City Hosts Seminar on Yoon Seok-yeol Government's Local Era and Investment Attraction Strategy

Preferable to Prioritize Investment in Regional Hub Cities with Good Educational Environment and Residential Conditions

Synergy Expected from Simultaneous Designation of Opportunity Development Zones and Education Freedom Zones

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held the "Yoon Seok-yeol Government Local Era and Investment Attraction Strategy Seminar."

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] On the 30th at 2 p.m., Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol Government Local Era and Investment Attraction Strategy Seminar’ at the Citizen Hall together with the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET), Changwon Industry Promotion Agency, and Gyeongnam Federation of Science and Technology Societies.

This seminar was organized to share the vision and core strategic tasks of the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s local era, including ‘Opportunity Development Zones, Education Freedom Zones, and Public Institution Relocation to Local Areas,’ which are included in the ‘Special Act on Decentralization and Regional Balanced Development’ approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 1st and aimed to pass the National Assembly by the end of the year, and to gather expert opinions for designing the Changwon-type Opportunity Development Zone.

Kang Young-hwan, Special Committee Chair for Local Investment and Industrial Development at the National Balanced Development Committee, explained the 15 national agenda items promising a local era where equal opportunities are enjoyed regardless of residence, based on the three core values of government balanced development: fairness, autonomy, and innovation, in his keynote speech titled ‘Let’s Go to the Local Era.’

Lee Sang-ho, Regional Industry and Location Director at KIET, proposed strengthening various incentives such as the promotion direction of ODZ, bold and diverse regulatory exemptions, tax benefits, and securing investment resources in his presentation titled ‘Opportunity Development Zones (ODZ) for Regional Development and Regional Policy Directions.’

Kim Jong-ho, Head of Strategic Planning at Changwon Industry Promotion Agency, presented a Changwon-type job platform plan in conjunction with Opportunity Development Zones to secure new growth engines for companies, create jobs, and reduce social conflicts.

Following this, chaired by Lee Woo-bae, President of the Korean Regional Policy Association, panelists including Choi Jeong-hoon, member of Changwon City Council, Song Woo-kyung, Director of Regional Policy at KIET, Park Chan-woo, Policy Director of the Korea Association of Mayors and Governors, Gong Doo-pyeong, External Cooperation Team Leader at K-Cosun, and Park Byung-joo, Director of Smart City and Transportation Research at Gyeongnam Research Institute, represented diverse voices from various sectors on successful promotion of the Changwon-type Opportunity Development Zone, discussing bold incentives, job creation, securing industrial competitiveness through clustering of related companies, and the role and expectations of local councils.

Kim Byung-gyu, Deputy Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, said, “Opportunity Development Zones are an urgent system that must be introduced to prevent concentration in the metropolitan area and realize a true local era. We must join forces in the enactment and revision of related laws for the designation of Opportunity Development Zones.”

Woo Dong-gi, Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee, said in a video congratulatory message, “We will also promote the enactment of a special law to promote local investment, which includes extraordinary support measures, local-led special zone operations, and a pan-ministerial investment support system,” adding, “Furthermore, the National Balanced Development Committee will actively support the opening of a true local era led by the regions.”

Jo Myung-rae, 2nd Deputy Mayor, said, “Opportunity Development Zones will be a great turning point for Changwon’s opportunities and the local era of the Republic of Korea,” and added, “Changwon City hopes that Gyeongnam Province, central government ministries, and experts in various fields will strengthen cooperation and communication as partners.”