이 대통령 “국토 균형발전은 시혜가 아닌 생존 필수전략”

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with local government officials on May 26th to address the critical issue of national territorial balance development. He emphasized that the root of all major problems faced by the country lies in severe territorial imbalances. At the central-local cooperation conference held at the Blue House, Yoon highlighted that Seoul's overcrowded metropolitan area and rural areas' looming extinction risk due to underdevelopment are detrimental to overall efficiency and national competitiveness.

He stressed that balanced development has become a survival and sustainable growth strategy for the nation, rather than an option or a matter of choice.

The president revealed that the 3 major mega-projects serve as the foundation for regional balance development, and he is actively investing in diverse industrial growth strategies through these projects. Simultaneously, he aims to nurture emerging industries, create jobs, and improve living conditions through housing, education, and welfare support, centered around 5 extreme and 3 special policies.

During the conference, various metropolitan city leaders, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Gyeonggi Province Governor Shim Kwang-hee, and district leaders, such as Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae, participated in the discussion. Yoon reaffirmed that officials serving under different political parties or personal beliefs are committed to serving the public and improving the lives of citizens and the future of the nation.

In the aftermath of the meeting, the government pledged to actively support local-led growth initiatives, including redesigning territorial spaces through the 5 extreme and 3 special policies, fostering corporate investments and regional economic rights, and supporting living conditions packages. Additionally, the government committed to prioritizing tax incentives for businesses.

Furthermore, it was reported that Samsung Electronics CEO Lee Jae-yong met privately with Yoon, discussing infrastructure investments in domestic semiconductor, physical artificial intelligence (AI), and data center industries. The talks focused on addressing concerns raised by Samsung's proposed investment plan for a new horsetail cluster in the Hoseo region, which may include relaxing labor-hour restrictions and extending the period for employing contracted workers.