The 5th Million-Population City 'Hwaseong Special City' Officially Launched

Unveiling Ceremony and Commemorative Tree Planting on the 1st at the Central Lobby
Becoming the 5th Special City Nationwide 23 Years After City Promotion

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province officially launched as the nation's fifth 'Special City' on the first day of the new year.

On the 1st, Hwaseong City held a plaque unveiling ceremony and commemorative tree planting in the central lobby of City Hall to celebrate the launch of the Special City. The event was attended by Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, City Council Chairman Bae Jeong-su, National Assembly members Kwon Chil-seung and Song Ok-ju of the Democratic Party, city and provincial council members, as well as representatives of citizens, businesses, and public officials. The ceremony was conducted quietly and solemnly amid an atmosphere mourning the victims and bereaved families of the Muan Airport accident.

To commemorate the launch of the Special City, the city also unveiled a new slogan: "Special Citizens, Shining City, Hwaseong Special City." The new slogan reflects the city’s commitment to presenting a new model of local autonomy as a metropolitan city with a population of 1.04 million and to providing better administrative services to its citizens.

At the 'Hwaseong Special City Launch Commemoration Unveiling Ceremony' held on the 1st in the central lobby of Hwaseong City Hall, attendees are participating in the unveiling event. Provided by Hwaseong City

From a Small City of 210,000 to a Metropolitan City of 1.04 Million in 23 Years

When Hwaseong was promoted to city status in 2001, it was a small city with a population of 210,000. Over 23 years, it has grown into a metropolitan city with over one million residents and earned the new designation of 'Special City.' It is the fifth in the nation following Suwon, Yongin, and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province, and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province.

The 'Special City' status maintains the position of a basic local government but grants administrative and financial authority comparable to that of a metropolitan city. This new model of local administration was introduced to address the challenges faced by basic local governments in responding to metropolitan administrative demands and efficiently promoting regional development despite having a population exceeding one million, and to expand their autonomy.

With the upgrade to Special City status, Hwaseong has secured 17 administrative and financial authorities. A notable example is the authority to approve building permits. Previously, approval from the Governor of Gyeonggi Province was required for buildings over 21 stories, but going forward, the city will directly handle permits for buildings up to 50 stories and with a total floor area under 200,000 square meters.

Welfare benefits will also be expanded. The income recognition standard for social welfare benefits will be raised by 50 million KRW, from the small and medium city level (85 million KRW) to the metropolitan city level (135 million KRW), broadening the range of beneficiaries eligible for welfare benefits such as basic pensions, disability pensions, and emergency support.

The city will be able to establish customized regional development strategies. Specifically, this includes consultations on designating new technology startup clusters, designation, cancellation, development, and operation of logistics complexes, and evaluation of tourism special zones. Accordingly, it is expected to have a positive impact on revitalizing the local economy and creating jobs by formulating and implementing development strategies tailored to regional characteristics.

"We Will Enhance Urban Competitiveness in Welfare, Culture, Economy, and Transportation"

The new brand identity (BI) of Hwaseong Special City. Provided by Hwaseong City

The city plans to use the launch of the Special City as an opportunity to improve citizens' quality of life and strengthen urban competitiveness. Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun’s vision focuses on creating tangible changes that citizens can feel, particularly in enhancing welfare and cultural life, establishing a virtuous economic cycle, and expanding transportation networks.

To this end, the city has presented four core strategies: ▲ recovery of the livelihood economy ▲ fostering advanced industries ▲ expanding cultural and leisure infrastructure ▲ balanced urban development.

First, the city will focus on improving citizens' quality of life in areas such as ▲ basic income ▲ housing ▲ care ▲ education ▲ transportation. In particular, to recover the livelihood economy, the city plans to issue local currency worth 509 billion KRW this year, the highest level nationwide, and expand support for small business owners to revitalize neighborhood economies.

In the industrial sector, the city aims to intensively nurture future core industries such as semiconductors, mobility, and bio, and establish Asia’s largest advanced industrial cluster to secure global competitiveness. Additionally, the city plans to introduce AI-based administrative services and operate educational programs to enhance citizens’ AI utilization capabilities, aiming to become a city centered on AI innovation.

In the area of expanding cultural and leisure infrastructure, the city will enhance various public facilities such as the Seohaemaru Youth Hostel, Dongtan Central Library, and Byeongjeom Multipurpose Gymnasium. Starting next year, through the operation of the Hwaseong Arts Center, the city intends to provide citizens with high-quality cultural and artistic experiences.

Furthermore, the city will establish customized development strategies and provide specialized administrative services that reflect the characteristics of each region, including Dongtan area, Eastern area, Western area, and Central area, pursuing balanced urban development.

Mayor Jeong emphasized, "The launch of the Special City marks an important moment in writing a new history for Hwaseong City," adding, "We will make Hwaseong Special City a shining city by embracing the hopes of every single citizen." He also said, "I have no doubt about the city's leap forward with the citizens who have made the city's remarkable development possible," and asked for citizens’ interest and support.

Meanwhile, the city has temporarily postponed the Special City launch ceremony originally scheduled for the 3rd due to the Muan Airport accident.