Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance Receives Ministry Approval, Legal Procedures Completed

Final Approval of Agreement Establishes Foundation for Launch of Special Local Government
Alliance Scale, Budget, and Organizational Structure Confirmed

The Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance has received final approval from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. With all legal procedures for establishing the special local government jointly promoted by Gwangju and Jeonnam now completed, the project has entered the full-scale implementation phase.

On December 31, the Gwangju Metropolitan Government announced that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety had approved the “Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance Agreement.” As a result, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance has secured the foundation to launch as a special local government entity with legal status.

From the left, Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall and Jeonnam Provincial Office.

This approval follows the agreement reached on December 19, when Gwangju and Jeonnam recognized the need for wide-area cooperation and agreed on the terms of the alliance. Subsequently, both city and provincial councils passed the agreement. With the central government’s final approval, all institutional preparations have been completed.

According to the agreement, the headquarters of the Special Metropolitan Alliance will be located in Jeonnam Province, and its organization will be operated in accordance with the alliance’s ordinance. The members will consist of local government officials dispatched from both Gwangju and Jeonnam. The alliance council will have a total of 12 members, with six councilors each from Gwangju and Jeonnam, maintaining an equal representation system.

The alliance’s budget will be set at 3 billion won. Gwangju has already secured 1 billion won, and the remaining budget will be arranged through next year’s supplementary budget. Jeonnam Province will also allocate its share through a supplementary budget.

On this day, Gwangju and Jeonnam held a “four-party working-level meeting” attended by the heads of planning and coordination, executive officials, and council staff, where they finalized detailed operational plans including the scale of the alliance, budget sharing, and the enactment of ordinances and regulations.

Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju, stated, “Through the Gwangju-Jeonnam Special Metropolitan Alliance, we will establish a joint response system in areas such as transportation, industry, tourism, energy, and the environment,” adding, “We will swiftly implement a two-track strategy by promoting both the launch of the Special Metropolitan Alliance and discussions on administrative integration.”