Gwangju and Jeonnam to Hold Special Local Government Launch Ceremony on the 27th

Joint Agreement on "Wide-Area Cooperation System" at Naju City Hall
Launch Scheduled for Early December... Realizing the "Five Poles, Three Specials" Balanced Development Strategy

Gwangju City (left) and Jeonnam Province Government Office buildings.

On August 20, it was announced that Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province (hereinafter referred to as "the two local governments") will hold a launch ceremony for the Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Local Government Organization (hereinafter referred to as "the special local government") on August 27 at the main conference hall of Naju City Hall.

The ceremony will be attended by Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung, Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok, and Kim Kyungsoo, Chairperson of the Local Era Committee. They will sign a joint agreement and mark a new beginning for wide-area cooperation.

The two local governments have been discussing the establishment of the special local government, a wide-area cooperative system, in line with the new administration's "Five Poles, Three Specials" national balanced development strategy, to address the concentration in the capital region and the crisis of regional extinction. At the upcoming ceremony, they will officially declare their commitment to this initiative through a joint agreement.

In the agreement, the two local governments will emphasize that "Gwangju and Jeonnam have long cooperated as a single living sphere and regional community," and will agree that support from the central government and wide-area cooperation are essential to overcome the dominance of the capital region and the crisis of regional extinction.

The two local governments plan to quickly form and operate a joint task force to begin institutional design and consultations with the central government in earnest, with the goal of systematically preparing for the launch of the special local government in early December this year.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung stated, "Promoting the special local government, with Gwangju and Jeonnam sharing a future vision and moving forward together, is not a choice but a necessity," adding, "The special local government will serve as a crucial breakthrough to overcome the concentration in the capital region and the crisis of regional extinction, opening a path for mutual growth and development."