The cities of Gwangju and Jeonnam are requesting the second relocation of public institutions as a follow-up to their administrative integration efforts, highlighting the strategic importance of these institutions in their regions.
Gwangju and Jeonnam, engaged in promoting administrative integration, have demanded the second relocation of key public institutions including the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation as a part of their follow-up measures. During a press conference, Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok presented a list of ten crucial institutions that he believes should be relocated, emphasizing that Jeonnam is the largest agricultural hub in the country. He pointed out that the aggregation of agricultural public institutions like the Korea Rural Community Corporation and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation in the region creates favorable conditions for advancing the agricultural biotechnology sector.
Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung also addressed the need to reconsider the locations of public institutions, referencing their unique characteristics and regional specialties. For example, he suggested that the Korea Airport Corporation should be placed at Muan International Airport, while the Korea Environment Corporation should be oriented towards the eastern part of Jeonnam. This customization in relocating institutions aligns with their intentions of attracting public institutions to enhance regional development.
Furthermore, Jeonnam and Gwangju are not limiting their requests to the initial ten institutions. They’ve also mentioned 40 additional institutions, including the Korea Environment Industry Technology Institute and the Korean Olympic Committee, which they seek to relocate. The legislative push for this initiative is supported by a special law proposed in the National Assembly, which prioritizes the allocation of public institutions to the newly integrated special city.
