The Fourth Town Hall Meeting Following Gwangju, Daejeon, and Busan
"It Is Time to Shift the Focus to Regional Development for Balanced Growth"
"I Will Provide Special Consideration So That Living Near the Border Area Is Not Seen as a 'Malignant Fate
President Lee Jaemyung emphasized during a town hall meeting held on September 12 under the theme "Listening to the Heart of Gangwon" that while the Seoul metropolitan area-centered system was once a useful strategy for rapid growth, its side effects have begun to emerge. He stressed that it is now time to shift the focus to regional development for balanced progress. President Lee also stated that special consideration would be given to ensure that living in Gangwon Province does not feel unfair and that being near the border region is not regarded as a "malignant fate."
President Lee made these remarks during his opening statement at the town hall meeting held at the Gangwon Creative Development Center in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. This was the fourth town hall meeting, following those in Gwangju, Daejeon, and Busan. President Lee said, "One of the key challenges is overcoming the metropolitan area-centered system. In the past, due to a lack of resources and capital, distributing them evenly across the country was seen as inefficient, so we adopted the so-called 'all-in strategy,' concentrating investments in Seoul, which greatly contributed to rapid growth."
He pointed out that this metropolitan concentration strategy is now revealing its limitations. President Lee said, "The side effects of the metropolitan area-centered system have started to appear. The inefficiency caused by this concentration has become so severe that now everything is being drawn to Seoul and the metropolitan area, leading to severe overcrowding. It has become normal for a single square meter of land to cost 100 million or 200 million won, and I have heard that in some cases, an apartment costs as much as 280 million won per square meter."
President Lee continued, "Even when trying to build factories, the high land prices make it extremely difficult, and we have become vulnerable in international competition. If this concentration continues, the marginal utility will turn negative, putting us in a difficult situation for growth and development." He added, "On the other hand, local regions are disappearing as people leave. One side faces problems due to overpopulation, while the other suffers from depopulation."
He also addressed the issue of regional inequality following the metropolitan area-centered system. President Lee cited as a prime example the practice of selecting regions with relatively less resistance for the construction of undesirable facilities, making unilateral decisions behind closed doors, and then attacking local opposition as collective selfishness while forcing those regions to make sacrifices. He said, "Because our society has lived without much leeway, fairness has become scarce and unfairness has become commonplace. The fact that the powerless minority must bear the burden for the majority, without consideration for minorities, has been a feature of our national policy."
President Lee also pointed out that while strict regulations are imposed on areas near the Demilitarized Zone, appropriate compensation is not provided. He said, "These areas are designated as military protection zones, and residents are not even allowed to go out at night, yet no compensation is given. Living in the border regions of Gangwon Province feels like a crime. How unfair must that have felt? If people have endured this hardship for so long just to survive, then it is time for a change."
President Lee emphasized, "For regions or groups that make special sacrifices for the good of the entire community, there are benefits that the rest of us enjoy as a result. We must allocate a portion of those benefits to compensate them. The principle that special sacrifices require special compensation is something I established when I began my political and social activities." He added with a smile, "I started my political career to create a world where no one and no region feels particularly wronged. Now, haven't I become the most powerful person in Korea?" prompting applause from the audience.
Approximately 300 people attended the Gangwon town hall meeting, including Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae, Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Donghan, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyeong, Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyubaek, other government and local officials, as well as 200 Gangwon residents who had registered online in advance.
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