Jeong Myeong-geun, Hwaseong Mayor, "Special Cities Should Be Given More Autonomy and Budget Authority"

Press Conference Held... "Expansion of Authority Needed for Administration of a 1 Million Population City"
Expressed Commitment to Expanding Metropolitan Transportation Network, Botanic Garden, and Corporate Investment Attraction

"A metropolitan transportation network and welfare demands required for cities with a population of one million necessitate more autonomy and budget authority for special cities."

Jeong Myeong-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, emphasized the need to boldly transfer more autonomy and budget authority to special cities. Mayor Jeong stated this during a press conference held on the 22nd in the city hall's main conference room.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, is answering questions at a press conference held in the city hall's main conference room on the 22nd. [Photo by Hwaseong City]

At the press conference held ahead of the midterm point of his four-year mayoral term in July, Mayor Jeong said, "Currently, many of the 16 administrative authorities transferred to special cities fall short of expectations when considering the administrative demands of large cities," adding, "While not to the level of metropolitan cities, special legislation should be enacted to grant tax revenue authority commensurate with the city's scale."

Mayor Jeong also reaffirmed his commitment to establishing four general districts. He stated, "Hwaseong City covers an area of 844㎢, which is 1.4 times that of Seoul, but due to the eup-myeon-dong system, administration is concentrated at city hall, resulting in reduced accessibility and efficiency," emphasizing, "I will definitely push for the establishment of general districts that reflect regional characteristics by coordinating residents' opinions."

Mayor Jeong is also determined to achieve "20 trillion won in investment attraction during his term." He explained, "Considering corporate tax, workers' property tax, and resident tax, corporations effectively account for about 70% of local tax revenue," adding, "Attracting corporate investment not only secures tax revenue but also leads to the creation of good jobs." To this end, Mayor Jeong plans to hold a large-scale investment attraction briefing session targeting domestic and international companies in Seoul this June.

Mayor Jeong also plans to actively promote the 'Botanic Garden' project utilizing the upper space secured by the recent undergrounding of the Dongtan section of the Gyeongbu Expressway. He explained, "As seen in overseas cases, a common feature of premium cities is well-equipped large-scale urban parks," adding, "During the remainder of my term, I will lay the groundwork for creating an 'Eco Forest Line' connecting major parks in Hwaseong."

Mayor Jeong said, "Hwaseong is a local government that is rapidly growing and gaining attention in various fields such as population, administration, and industry," and added, "As much as quantitative growth, ultimately, I will make it a city where citizens take pride in saying 'I live in Hwaseong.'"