Gwangju City to Hold Sector-Specific Public Hearings on Integration Special Legislation

Relay of Public Hearings Across Nine Sectors Including Environment, Economy, Welfare, and Education

Gwangju Metropolitan City will hold a series of citizen public hearings by professional sector to gather opinions on the special legislation for the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. The city will focus on areas closely related to citizens' daily lives, such as environment, economy, welfare, and education, and seek input from experts in these fields.

On January 22, Gwangju City announced that it will officially begin holding citizen public hearings by sector related to the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration, starting with an environmental sector hearing at the Climate and Energy Promotion Agency on January 23. These hearings will be conducted in a relay format until early February, focusing on nine key areas that directly affect citizens' lives, and will collect opinions from academics, field experts, and relevant organizations.

Kang Kijeong, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the "Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Gwangju Dong-gu Area Joint Public Hearing" held on the 19th at the Dong-gu Office main conference room to share the progress and future schedule of the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration. Provided by Gwangju City

Following the environmental sector hearing, hearings will be held in the following order: economy and industry on January 26; civic society organizations on January 26; social welfare, seniors, people with disabilities, and healthcare on January 27; women, children, and foreigners on January 27; education and youth on January 28; culture and tourism on January 29; construction, safety, transportation, and labor on January 30; residents' self-governing councils and village communities on February 2; and sports on February 4.

At each hearing, the city will explain the progress, key details, and future schedule of the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration initiative, followed by an open Q&A session to gather a wide range of opinions, concerns, and suggestions.

Gwangju City plans to broadly collect input from experts with specialized knowledge in each field to build wider social consensus. The city will also conduct small-scale hearings and discussion sessions targeting organizations and institutions, utilizing various methods to gather feedback.

Kim Youngmun, head of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Integration Promotion Task Force, stated, "Citizens are curious about how the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam will impact their lives," and added, "We will activate a variety of channels to collect opinions to provide sufficient explanations and build consensus."

Meanwhile, Gwangju City is also holding joint public hearings by region for the Office of Education, City Council, district offices, and district councils. The joint hearings began in Dong-gu on January 19 and will continue in five district offices: Seo-gu (Seobitmaru Culture and Arts Center) on January 22, Gwangsan-gu (Yoon Sangwon Hall at Gwangsan-gu Office) on January 23, Buk-gu (Buk-gu Culture Center) on January 27, and Nam-gu (Bitgoeul Citizens' Culture Center) on January 28.