Gyeongsangbuk-do Gov. Lee Cheol-woo visited President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s office on March 19 and asked for President-elect Yoon’s support for pending issues affecting the region.
Gov. Lee called for the new government to build the nation based on unity and prosperity.
He proposed ways of making Korea an advanced country through balanced regional development, and seven tasks for the development of Gyeongsang-buk-do.
The previous governments adopted and implemented decentralization and balanced development as national agenda, but solving a feeling of deprivation in isolated areas left provincial districts in danger of extinction, so Gov. Lee proposed a model of becoming an advanced nation through balanced regional development, containing five tasks.
Those include the revision of the Constitution for provincial decentralization.
He demanded an amendment to the Constitution that calls for local government to carry out provincial affairs on their own, and the state having jurisdiction over affairs which local governments could not handle.
Gov. Lee demanded institutional reform for allowing the integration of administrative affairs for 5 million people and state’s responsibility and investments for balanced development should be upgraded from the Presidential Committee of National Balanced Development to the Administration Committee.
Gov. Lee also proposed seven mega-projects for the development of Gyeongsangbuk-do: the construction of an integrated new airport in the Daegu-Gyeongsangbuk-do area, a metaverse convergence industry cluster, a future car materials/parts industry belt, a particle accelerator-based national advanced industry cluster, a global vaccine/bio R&D center, a national energy/forest transformation project, and SOC for national balanced development.
As for the seven projects for the development of the province, Gov. Lee requested the construction of a new airport and the fostering of industries, such as future car battery and metaverse, and developing the province as strategic technology centers, such as a particle accelerator-based national advanced industry cluster.
Gov. Lee called for the nurturing of a state energy/forest transformation belt and the implementation of SOC projects for national balanced development, including a bridge crossing the Yeongil Bay and railway and road networks.
Gov. Lee said, “The upcoming government should change a format of administering state affairs with local governments, and I will make my best to help the success of provincial areas lead to the success of state.”
In return, President-elect Yoon said, “I’m well aware of the matters related to a new airport and the Yeongil Bay Bridge in Gyeongsangbuk-do and the new government will give a priority.” Gov. Lee, running for reelection, has been confirmed as a candidate for Gyeongsangbuk-do governor under the ticket of the People Power Party (PPP).
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