Gangwon Province Holds "On-site Special Act Briefing" in Hwacheon, Focusing on Overhauling Military and Farmland Regulations

On-site Dialogue in Hwacheon Ahead of the Third Amendment to the Gangwon Special Act

Second On-site Visit Following Goseong...Building Broader Consensus

On February 24, Gangwon Teukbyeol Jachido held an on-site briefing session on the Gangwon Special Act for public officials of Hwacheon County at the main conference hall on the 4th floor of Hwacheon County Office.

Exterior view of Gangwon Provincial Government Office. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government Office

This session was the second on-site visit briefing, following the one at Goseong County Office in January. It was organized to share the progress made since the enactment of the Gangwon Special Act and its key special provisions, and to explore practical ways for cities and counties to utilize them in the field.

The briefing covered the legislative history of the enactment and the first and second amendments of the Gangwon Special Act, along with a detailed introduction to the core special provisions currently in effect. In particular, it focused on special provisions on military regulations that are closely related to Hwacheon County as a border area, explaining concrete use cases and outcomes, which drew strong interest from the attending public officials.

In addition, the background, designation procedures, and expected effects of the special provision on farmland known as the “Rural Vitalization Promotion District System” were explained in detail.

Under this system, the governor can directly designate Rural Vitalization Promotion Districts and lift designations of agricultural promotion zones (formerly so-called “absolute farmland”), and it is regarded as a system that expands autonomy in farmland use and opens the way for regional development.

The province emphasized that active participation and cooperation from cities and counties are essential for the stable establishment of the system.

In the military sector, the province introduced the significance of the governor’s authority to propose the lifting of military regulations, as well as cases of shifting the Civilian Control Line northward and easing controlled and protected zones, explaining that these measures are providing tangible help in protecting property rights and improving living conditions for residents in border areas.

Cho Youngho, Director General of the Special Self-Governing Province Bureau of Gangwon Teukbyeol Jachido, said, “The Gangwon Special Act is a system that transfers part of the central government’s authority to the local level, creating a structure in which the region makes its own decisions and assumes responsibility,” adding, “The third amendment is an important process that will further advance the expansion of powers and easing of regulations in ways that residents of the province can truly feel.”

Gangwon Teukbyeol Jachido plans to continue expanding the “On-site Gangwon Special Act Briefing Sessions” in cooperation with the departments in charge of each special provision, and to strengthen its collaboration system with cities and counties to enhance the practical use of these special provisions.