Mayor Lee Jangwoo of Daejeon: "Integration of Daejeon and Chungnam... Guaranteeing High-Level Autonomy Is Key"

Fostering Future Strategic Industries and Small but Strong Enterprises
for Sustainable Growth, Including Defense, Drones, Robotics, and Sensors

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon (Photo by Daejeon City)

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, stated that "the integration of Daejeon and Chungnam must be based on securing a high degree of local autonomy and maintaining Daejeon's identity."

During the weekly work meeting he presided over on the 12th, Mayor Lee emphasized, "Guaranteeing a high level of autonomy is the key to integration." He instructed officials to prepare for all possibilities during discussions with the government or the National Assembly, including the option of holding a resident vote, if special provisions are reduced or if Daejeon's identity is undermined due to changes such as renaming to 'Chungcheong Special City.'

Regarding local issues, the city will focus its administrative capabilities on fostering future strategic industries such as defense, drones, robotics, and sensors, as well as nurturing small but strong enterprises to ensure the city's sustainable growth.

Mayor Lee said, "Daejeon's competitiveness lies not in large-scale manufacturing facilities, but in the growth of innovative companies with headquarters in Daejeon," adding, "Nurturing a large number of small but strong enterprises is the future of Daejeon's economy."

To this end, the city will strengthen efforts to attract companies and support resident businesses, centering on the Pyeongchon Industrial Complex, and will closely coordinate policies for small business owners and holiday refund events with on-site needs.

Photo by Daejeon City

The city is also moving forward with the so-called 'Daejeon Integrated Mobility Master Plan,' which involves a complete overhaul of the transportation system centered on trams.

In particular, from the tram station design stage, the city plans to maximize convenience for citizens by incorporating features such as dedicated taxi waiting areas and concentrated deployment of public bicycles (Tashu).

Mayor Lee, who has consistently emphasized the establishment of a systematic transfer system when designing stations for Subway Line 2, stated, "Ensure that each station has a space where taxis can always wait, so that passengers can transfer directly from the subway to a taxi." He added, "Design the transfer system to systematically integrate stations for bicycles and PMs (Personal Mobility devices), so that people can move quickly and efficiently."

Photo by Daejeon City Provided

Starting this month, the city will form a dedicated task force and establish an integrated transfer system that organically connects buses, trams, subways, bicycles, and taxis.

Additionally, Mayor Lee called for innovation in welfare and education, including expanding national funding for the operation of the public children's rehabilitation hospital, restructuring university support systems to be performance-oriented, and strengthening the promotion of citizen college and online education programs.

Mayor Lee stated, "With local elections scheduled for June this year, it seems necessary to resolve pending issues early, including securing next year's national funding." He added, "Therefore, we will complete work reports from all departments in January and finalize next year's national funding by February. From the beginning of the year, we will steadily pursue key issues such as securing national funding, fostering future industries, and innovating transportation, to deliver changes that citizens can truly feel."