Preparations Completed, Including Site Secured and Budget Allocated, Yet Project Remains Stalled
Consensus Reached on Temporary Relocation Before New Headquarters Construction, but Working-Level Delays Persist
Working-Level Council Between Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, and GIEST Must Resume Without Delay
Paju City in Gyeonggi Province has strongly urged the prompt relocation of the Gyeonggi Institute of Economic Science and Technology (GIEST) to Paju within this year, stating that the move has been significantly delayed for an extended period, contrary to the original plan.
According to Paju City on July 2, the city criticized the current situation, explaining that although it had secured the site and allocated the necessary budget immediately after the final decision to relocate GIEST to Paju was made in 2021, the project has stalled due to delays in working-level consultations and administrative procedures with Gyeonggi Province.
The GIEST relocation project was finalized on May 27, 2021, as part of the seventh popularly elected Gyeonggi provincial administration's policy to promote balanced regional development by relocating public institutions to northern Gyeonggi. The decision followed a highly competitive bidding process.
In response, Paju City established a municipal-level support plan for the relocation in June of the same year and signed a memorandum of understanding with GIEST and Gyeonggi Province, actively preparing for the move.
From 2021 to 2022, a working-level council involving Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, and GIEST discussed and finalized the relocation site (1002 Yadang-dong), the method of site acquisition, and the scale of construction. However, the project has since stalled due to several factors: budgetary issues at the provincial level, opposition from the GIEST labor union, and a two-year hiatus in working-level meetings. As a result of these administrative delays, the relocation site has remained unused for a prolonged period, leading to continuous civil complaints.
In response, Paju City and the Unjeong New Town Association launched a citywide petition drive in July 2024, calling for the swift relocation of GIEST to Paju. More than 20,000 citizens participated, and the petition, reflecting the wishes and determination of Paju residents, was delivered to Gyeonggi Province and GIEST in April of this year. During this process, Paju citizens strongly expressed their position: "Resume the suspended working-level meetings and proceed with the relocation according to the established procedures."
Subsequently, when Gyeonggi Province included the GIEST relocation plan in its "Northern Gyeonggi Grand Remodeling Project" and announced it, expectations for the fulfillment of the promise were reignited. On May 23, Gyeonggi Province and GIEST visited the planned relocation site in Paju to inspect the situation and review future plans for the new GIEST headquarters. They also examined potential rental sites near Yadang Station to facilitate the relocation before the completion of the new building, holding working-level discussions on the possibility of relocating within this year.
Kim Kyoungil, Mayor of Paju, stated, "The relocation of GIEST to Paju is not merely an issue for Paju City but is a crucial project for balanced development in northern Gyeonggi, corporate support, and the creation of new growth engines for the sustainable development of all of Gyeonggi Province. As this is a promise concerning the future of 530,000 Paju citizens and 14 million Gyeonggi residents, this issue must not be delayed any further, especially in terms of maintaining administrative trust."
Mayor Kim added, "Paju City will actively carry out and cooperate on the necessary procedures through close collaboration with Gyeonggi Province and GIEST."
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