Five Years as Innovation City... Chungnam Still Has Zero Public Institutions from Seoul Metropolitan Area

Chungnam Provincial Council Adopts Resolution Urging Priority Relocation of Public Institutions
"Going Against National Balanced Development"

Five years have passed since Chungnam was designated as an Innovation City, yet not a single public institution from the Seoul metropolitan area has relocated there.

The Chungnam Provincial Council has strongly urged for the prioritized relocation of public institutions to Chungnam Innovation City, stating that further delay is unacceptable.

On July 29, during the second plenary session of its 360th temporary meeting, the Chungnam Provincial Council adopted a resolution titled "Resolution Calling for the Expansion of Relocation of Public Institutions from the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Priority Relocation to Chungnam Innovation City," which was proposed by Lee Sanggeun (Hongseong 1, People Power Party).

This resolution calls on the government and the National Assembly to: ▲ clearly include the relocation of public institutions from the Seoul metropolitan area as a national policy agenda, ▲ give priority to relocating institutions to Chungnam Innovation City, which currently has no public institutions, and ▲ expand the scope of relocation targets to at least 500 organizations, including funded, contributed, and affiliated institutions.

Lee pointed out, "Chungnam was excluded from the first phase of public institution relocation due to the construction of Sejong City, and although it has been five years since it was designated as an Innovation City, not a single institution has relocated. The sense of deprivation among 2.2 million residents is severe."

He also criticized, "Despite Chungnam Innovation City being a central area with the nation's top-level infrastructure in transportation and industry, the government's passive policies have prevented it from fulfilling its intended role as an Innovation City."

The Chungnam Provincial Council plans to officially deliver this resolution to the Office of the President, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and other relevant ministries, actively requesting the expansion of public institution relocation from the Seoul metropolitan area and priority placement in Chungnam.