Press Conference at Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly
Expressing Determination to Attract the Legislative Training Institute
Kim Deok-hyun, the governor of Yeoncheon County, urged the relocation of the ‘Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Legislative Training Institute’ to Yeoncheon on the 1st.
Kim Deok-hyun, the governor of Yeoncheon County, is holding a press conference on the 1st to urge the attraction of the 'Gyeonggi Provincial Council Legislative Training Center' to Yeoncheon. Photo by Yeoncheon County
On the same day, Governor Kim held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly briefing room, emphasizing that Yeoncheon County is the optimal site for establishing the Legislative Training Institute and expressed a strong intention to attract it. The press conference was attended by Governor Kim Deok-hyun, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly member Yoon Jong-young, Chairperson of Yeoncheon County Council Kim Mi-kyung, and representatives of the residents’ promotion committee.
At the press conference, Governor Kim said, “Yeoncheon has long symbolized underdevelopment and regulation, but now it is ready to become the new center of balanced development in Gyeonggi Province,” adding, “Yeoncheon, which boasts a natural environment and historical-cultural assets recognized by UNESCO, as well as excellent transportation accessibility, is the place that best fits the policy research and training purposes pursued by the Legislative Training Institute.”
He continued, “With its diverse historical sites so abundant that it is called an open-air museum, and its quiet and pleasant natural environment, Yeoncheon offers the optimal conditions for a space where policy planning, education, and healing can take place together,” emphasizing, “For the Training Institute to become not just an educational facility but a symbolic space envisioning the future of local autonomy, its first starting point must be Yeoncheon.”
Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly member Yoon Jong-young also joined to express support for relocating the Legislative Training Institute to Yeoncheon.
Assemblyman Yoon said, “The Legislative Training Institute is not just a training facility but a space that serves as the brain of local councils,” adding, “It must be a place where in-depth policy research and creative discussions can take place away from the noise of the city, and Yeoncheon meets that standard.”
He added, “So far, northern Gyeonggi has existed only as a task rather than a beneficiary of ‘balanced development,’” and said, “Now is the time for the Provincial Assembly to directly demonstrate its will for balanced development through action.”
At the press conference, the Yeoncheon County Council and representatives of the residents’ promotion committee also expressed their intention to attract the institute through an official resolution.
Kim Mi-kyung, Chairperson of Yeoncheon County Council, said, “For decades, Yeoncheon has been subjected to overlapping regulations under the pretext of national security,” adding, “If the principle of ‘special compensation for special sacrifice’ is valid, the relocation of the Legislative Training Institute must start in Yeoncheon. The council will spare no effort to ensure that Yeoncheon fulfills its role as a key base for strengthening the capabilities of local councils and public officials.”
Jung Nam-hoon, representative of the residents’ promotion committee, said, “Today’s proposal is an open letter written together by about 41,000 Yeoncheon residents and a heartfelt petition to the Speaker of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly,” adding, “The relocation of the Training Institute is a necessary choice to overcome local extinction and economic crisis.”
Earlier, the Yeoncheon County Council and the Pan-County Residents’ Promotion Committee requested the Provincial Assembly to make a fair and rational decision through a resolution, stating, “Yeoncheon, overcoming the limitations of being a border area, is the optimal location to open the future of local councils.”
Meanwhile, Yeoncheon County plans to sincerely participate in the Provincial Assembly’s review process and continue a phased and strategic response to ensure that the validity of the relocation proposal and the competitiveness of the site are fully conveyed.
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