Seo Taewon, Governor of Gapyeong County: "Regulatory Relaxation and Re-designation of Population Declining Areas in the Metropolitan Area Are Urgently Needed"

At the Policy Meeting for Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads of Population Declining Areas
Gapyeong Appeals for Relief from Overlapping Metropolitan Regulations and the Crisis of Local Extinction

Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province (Governor Seo Taewon) actively raised awareness of the crisis facing population declining areas to the central government, strongly urging for regulatory relaxation and the re-designation of population declining regions.

Gapyeong County attended the Policy Meeting of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads from Population Declining Areas held at the Sejong Convention Center on the 29th, delivering a joint petition and signing a business agreement. Photo by Gapyeong County

On the 29th, Gapyeong County attended the Policy Meeting for Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads of Population Declining Areas held at the Government Sejong Convention Center, where it delivered a joint petition and signed a business agreement.

This meeting, organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, brought together leaders from 89 population declining areas nationwide to discuss practical measures to attract population inflow and strategies to respond to the crisis of local extinction.

Through its petition, Gapyeong County requested the exclusion of population declining areas from metropolitan area regulations, and the maintenance of status for existing regions in the event of a second designation of population declining areas. This reflects the reality that Gapyeong County's regional development is severely restricted due to overlapping regulations, such as being designated as a natural conservation area under the Metropolitan Area Readjustment Planning Act, a special countermeasure area for the Paldang water source, a waterfront zone, and a military facility protection zone.

In particular, the re-designation of population declining areas is considered a key task for establishing a foundation for population recovery amid the crisis of local extinction. If re-designated as a population declining area, sustainable population inflow policies can be implemented through the Local Extinction Response Fund and policy special cases, including improving residential conditions, expanding the living population, and revitalizing the local economy.

Seo Taewon, Governor of Gapyeong County, emphasized, "With this meeting as an opportunity, regulatory relaxation and re-designation for population declining areas in the metropolitan region must be achieved," adding, "I hope that the central government and local governments can work together to implement practical population inflow policies."

Previously, Governor Seo held a joint press conference with the heads of Yeoncheon, Ganghwa, and Ongjin counties, as well as National Assembly members, calling for population declining areas in the Gyeongin region to be included as a priority in local policies.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, a joint petition (32 special cases) for population declining areas was delivered, a business agreement was signed among the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, population declining areas, KORAIL, and SOCAR to attract living population, a local revitalization sisterhood agreement was concluded, and a policy discussion forum was also held.