Governor Kim Youngrok Makes All-Out Effort to Include Key Regional Issues in National Policy Agenda

Meeting with Park Suhyun, Chairman of the National Policy Planning Committee
Focused Discussion on Key Issues Including Establishment of a National Medical School

Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok is meeting with Park Suhyun, Chairman of the Balanced Growth Special Committee of the National Policy Planning Committee, at the National Policy Planning Committee in Seoul on the 23rd to request suggestions and cooperation for reflecting Jeonnam Province's key issues in national policy tasks. Provided by Jeonnam Province

On the 23rd, Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok visited the National Policy Planning Committee and met sequentially with Park Suhyun, Chairman of the Balanced Growth Special Committee, Park Honggeun, Head of the Planning Division, Ahn Dogeol, Member of the Planning Division, and Lee Choonseok, Head of the Economic Division 2, actively proposing the inclusion of key regional issues in the new government's national policy agenda.

Moon Geumjoo, a National Assembly member and floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, was also present at the meeting, lending support to the inclusion of Jeonnam's pending projects in the final stage of formulating national policy tasks.

During the meeting, Governor Kim strongly requested the establishment of a 1.2 million pyeong "Future Advanced Materials National Industrial Complex" in the Gwangyang and Suncheon areas. He also called for the designation of both the existing secondary battery investment industrial complex and the future advanced materials national industrial complex in the Gwangyang Bay area as a "Secondary Battery National Advanced Strategic Industry Specialized Complex."

He further requested the swift establishment of a local medical school in Jeonnam, the only province in the country without a medical school, to guarantee residents' right to health and to strengthen local, essential, and public healthcare services.

Based on the differentiated competitiveness of abundant renewable energy sources in the southwestern region of Jeonnam, Governor Kim proposed the creation of the "Southwestern Jeonnam Energy Innovation Growth Belt" to build an energy city with a population of 500,000. He suggested that this be developed as a hub for innovative growth at the national level to promote balanced regional development.

He also requested that the "Second Space Center Construction Project," aimed at establishing Goheung as a global space launch vehicle industry convergence cluster, be included as a national policy task for the new government and pursued as a state policy.

In addition, he proposed the establishment of an "Artificial Sun Research Facility," the enactment of a "Special Act on the Development of the Southern Coast Region," and the bid to host COP33 in Yeosu (Southern Coast and Southern Central Region) in 2028, among other pending projects.

Governor Kim stated, "The key issues I have proposed for Jeonnam are critical tasks that determine the region's future, so I explained them with utmost sincerity," adding, "Jeonnam Province will make every effort until these issues are finally reflected in the national policy agenda."

Meanwhile, in June, Jeonnam Province formed a "Task Force for Responding to the New Government's National Policy Agenda," led by Governor Kim Youngrok, and has been maintaining close consultations with the National Policy Planning Committee and government ministries.