50,000 Signatures Achieved in Just 21 Days, 9 Days Ahead of the 30-Day Petition Requirement
Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Led by Chairman Yang Jaesaeng and All Executives and Staff, Launches Full-Scale Campaign to Promote Public Participation
As the national petition led by the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry urging the amendment of the Korea Development Bank Act quickly reached 50,000 signatures, the local voices calling for the relocation of the Korea Development Bank headquarters to Busan are expected to grow stronger.
The Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Yang Jae-saeng) announced that the national petition urging the amendment of the Korea Development Bank Act surpassed 50,000 signatures as of 2 p.m. on the 4th.
This national petition began when Chairman Yang Jae-saeng of the Busan Chamber of Commerce personally registered the petition at the launch ceremony for the petition urging the amendment of the Korea Development Bank Act on February 5. At the ceremony, 100 people including Mayor Park Hyung-joon, Nam-gu District Mayor Oh Eun-taek, businesspeople, civic group representatives, and local youth expressed their agreement on site.
Officially opened to the public on February 11, this petition reached the required 50,000 signatures within 30 days nine days ahead of schedule, achieving the goal in just 21 days. This early success clearly reflected the strong desire of local residents for the relocation of the Korea Development Bank headquarters to Busan.
The Korea Development Bank Act amendment bill currently pending in the National Assembly is expected to be referred to the Political Affairs Committee, the relevant committee, for review and then proceed to plenary session deliberation and resolution once the petition is officially submitted following the achievement of the national petition.
Until now, the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has made all-out efforts to obtain 50,000 signatures. Chairman Yang Jae-saeng, who volunteered as the promotional ambassador for the national petition, appealed for participation in the petition at every event hosted or attended by the Busan Chamber and maintained momentum by sending text messages to about 12,000 individual contacts weekly.
The Busan Chamber’s secretariat also expanded promotional activities by utilizing social media such as YouTube and Instagram, encouraging participation by visiting member companies in pairs, and setting up petition promotion booths at crowded places such as the BEXCO drone show venue, Busan Station, Kyungsung University and Pukyong National University stations, and Seomyeon Station, where foot traffic is usually high.
The roles of Busan City and its 16 districts and counties were also significant. Declaring this year as the inaugural year for attracting the Korea Development Bank headquarters to Busan, the city provided active administrative support and encouraged participation from district offices and affiliated institutions such as BEXCO. The 16 districts and counties, including Nam-gu, the jurisdiction of the planned headquarters relocation site, also promoted citizen participation through various events and posting promotional materials.
Yang Jae-saeng, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “Despite citizens’ earnest desire for the relocation of the Korea Development Bank headquarters to Busan, there were concerns about reaching 50,000 signatures due to procedural difficulties such as strict authentication for participation. However, with the active participation of various sectors including Busan City and the City Council, we were able to achieve the goal early. We will lead the local economic community to ensure that the relocation of the Korea Development Bank headquarters, which will serve as a stepping stone for revitalizing Busan as a financial hub and strengthening the industrial competitiveness of the southeastern region, is completed swiftly, fueled by the strong will shown by the citizens.”
The Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry plans to strongly demand the voices of the region to the National Assembly and hold forums linked with regions hoping for the relocation of a second public institution to continuously sustain the momentum that was difficultly rekindled.
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