Busan is good

Busan Attends National Balanced Development Committee’s Provincial-Metropolitan Meeting under the Presidential Commission on National Planning

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on the afternoon of July 8 (Monday) at 13:30, the Mayor attended the National Balanced Development Committee’s provincial-metropolitan-level meeting under the Presidential Commission on National Planning (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”) to discuss ways to faithfully implement the Yoon administration’s regional commitments for Busan.

This meeting was held over two days, July 7 and 8, at the meeting room of the Changseong Annex of the Seoul Government Complex, chaired by Committee Chair Park Soo-hyun.

The Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Busan attended the meeting and held in-depth discussions on strategies to realize practical balanced regional growth.

Given the Committee’s announcement that the meeting’s outcomes will be reflected in future national policy agendas, Busan presented its vision for strong local autonomy comparable to a federal system, as well as regional-led innovation and growth.

In line with the new administration’s key national agenda of shifting from the current “1+3” mega-centric structure to a “5+3” regional development framework, Busan proposed strategies for realizing national balanced development and introduced a vision for a new model of balanced growth led by local regions.

The City proposed its strategic tasks for balanced development, key regional commitments to Busan, and cooperative projects for the BULG megaregion as core agenda items.

First, as part of its strategic initiatives for balanced development, Busan called for strong local autonomy reforms equivalent to a federal system, including constitutional amendments to expand local autonomy, reinforcement of local self-governance rights, establishment of a population-balanced development department, and administrative integration. The City also urged the swift enactment of the Special Act on Busan Global Hub City, and called for easing tax incentives—including corporate and inheritance tax reductions—for companies relocating their headquarters outside the Seoul Capital Area. These measures aim to solidify Busan’s role as a key innovation growth hub for the southeastern region.

Under key regional commitments, Busan requested the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and related maritime public institutions to Busan, the establishment of a maritime specialized court, the relocation of the headquarters of major shipping and logistics conglomerates to Busan, and the designation of Busan as a leading city for the Arctic shipping route. These initiatives aim to align with the President’s commitments to transform Busan into the central city of a global maritime powerhouse.

Additionally, Busan emphasized the need for unwavering implementation of its national strategic priorities, including seamless progress on the Gadeokdo New Airport project, the (tentatively named) Southeast Asia Development Bank, relocation of public institutions, and the relocation of the Korea Development Bank’s headquarters to Busan. The City stressed that these key policies for Korea’s future must be pursued consistently and urged the administration to respond without hesitation.

As part of the cooperative initiatives for the BULG megaregion, the City proposed support for the construction of the Busan–Yangsan–Ulsan metropolitan railway, the inclusion of a metropolitan railway connecting Ulsan and the Gadeokdo New Airport, the establishment of a super-regional smart logistics innovation platform (BuTX), and the implementation of a regionally-differentiated electricity rate system. These initiatives aim to strengthen cooperation within the BULG region and solidify its status as a hub for innovation-led growth in southern Korea.

Vice Mayor Lee Jun-seung stated, “With national pledges drawing attention and funding, local commitments often receive less awareness and support. I am grateful for this opportunity to raise awareness of regional priorities,” adding, “Busan will strengthen its project management systems to ensure that the initiatives discussed today secure sustained momentum and will do our utmost to integrate Busan’s key policies into national policy agendas.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Park Heong-joon has been at the forefront of spreading the wave of innovation across the city since the 21st presidential election, pledging full cooperation with the new administration from the outset.

On the 5th of last month, Mayor Park presided over a policy report meeting on the national agenda items related to Busan, affirming the City’s all-out efforts to materialize and implement the promised projects. On the 3rd of this month, he met with Lee Jaeseong, the Busan Metropolitan Chapter Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, to reaffirm joint efforts for fulfilling campaign pledges. Moving forward, Mayor Park plans to actively engage with the business community, civil society, central government ministries, and political circles to drive forward Busan’s development and address key local issues.

Busan Metropolitan City also plans to reinforce its field-oriented, real-time response system to address national agenda items and local challenges, centered around its Strategic Planning Task Force, which was established in June to respond to the new administration’s policy direction.