Busan is good

Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, Launches Busan’s Leap Toward a Balanced and Innovative Nation… Inauguration of the 2nd Busan Metropolitan City Committee for the Decentralization Era

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the inauguration ceremony for the “2nd Busan Metropolitan City Committee for the Decentralization Era” (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee,” chaired by Lee Jeong-gi, President of Kosin University) at 11:00 a.m. today (October 2) in the Small Conference Room 1 on the 12th floor of City Hall.

This inauguration ceremony has been prepared as a new starting point for Busan to leap forward as a “global hub city” in response to the era’s demands for decentralization and national balanced development.

< 2nd Busan Metropolitan City Committee for the Decentralization Era >

• ●Legal Basis: Article 68 of the Special Act on Decentralization of Local Autonomy and Balanced National Development

• ●Composition: 20 members (including the Chairperson) ▸ Ex officio 1 (Planning Officer), Appointed 19

• ●Term: 2 years ▸ October 4, 2025 ~ October 3, 2027

• ●Role: Deliberation on matters related to decentralization of local autonomy and balanced national development

The inauguration ceremony will be attended by 20 members in total, including 19 appointed members (14 reappointed, 5 newly appointed) and 1 ex officio member. The program will proceed in the following order: ▲Appointment Letter Presentation ▲Inaugural Performance ▲Report on 1st-term Achievements and 2nd-term Operational Plans

The 2nd Committee will begin its term by chanting the slogan “Increase local authority! Strengthen autonomy! Solve regional issues!” as a demonstration of its commitment to addressing regional challenges and expanding decentralization.

The Committee for the Decentralization Era plays an important role not only in balanced growth and the expansion of local autonomy, but also in establishing Busan as a hub for innovative growth in the southern region. The 2nd Committee is composed of experts and experienced members from diverse fields such as academia, business, associations, and youth policy. Over the next two years, it will deliberate and decide on major policies related to local autonomy decentralization and balanced development in Busan.

In addition, the newly appointed Chairperson, President Lee Jeong-gi, is recognized as an educational administration expert who has worked to revitalize local universities amid the crisis of declining school-age population. He is evaluated as a suitable leader to enhance both the expertise and representativeness of the Committee.

Following this, a report on the “1st-term Achievements and 2nd-term Operational Plans” will be presented. The 1st Committee held 11 plenary sessions, deliberating on 22 agenda items, and convened four additional subcommittees (Innovation Growth, Education Development, Culture & Tourism, and Local Autonomy) depending on the issues, ensuring in-depth discussions.

As a result, deliberated proposals such as the Special Opportunity Development Zone Plan and the Special Education Development Zone Plan led to government designation of such special zones. Particularly in relation to the “2024 Comprehensive Plan for the Decentralization Era,” achievements such as “133 billion KRW expenditure reduction and 18 billion KRW revenue expansion (in the decentralization field)” and the “Busan-style Neulbom Project ‘Cherished Like You’ (in the education reform field)” were recognized as outstanding cases in the annual report of the Central Committee for the Decentralization Era, proving the policy’s effectiveness.

Building on these achievements, the 2nd Committee plans to reorganize into specialized subcommittees that reflect national balanced development strategies and regional issues, thereby enabling more effective deliberations on agenda items.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Despite difficult conditions, Busan has undergone many changes thanks to the concerted efforts of various sectors, including increased investment attraction, more full-time jobs, the inflow of advanced industries, rising numbers of foreign tourists, and enhanced city brand value.”

He added, “At this important juncture, as the 2nd Committee is newly inaugurated, I expect us to shoulder together the responsibility that Busan’s future and Korea’s future depend on, and to accomplish much together.”