Jeonnam-Gwangju Civic Group: "Main Office to Innovation City... Decentralize Functions by Region"

Statement Announcing Alternative Office Structure for the Integrated Special City on June 18

Strategic Office to House Only Core Functions such as Mayor's Office, Budgeting, and Audit

"Prioritizing Distribution of Authority and Budget over Location Competition"

The Committee for the Promotion of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Urban Future Citizens Solidarity has proposed a "holding company-style strategic government office" model, with core strategic functions at the Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City, amid the ongoing debate over the main office location for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

On June 18, the committee issued a statement saying, "The solution to the office issue is not about which city it should be located in, but about how to design the structure of the new metropolitan government." The committee emphasized, "The main office should not be seen as a prize dividing which region takes control of integrated power, but should function as the Metropolitan Strategic Headquarters responsible for strategy, budgeting, coordination, and evaluation for the entire Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City."

Promotional image of Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeonnam. [Photo by Gwangju City]

The committee argued that the main office's functions should be located in the Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City. They stated, "If it is placed within Gwangju, concerns of Jeonnam being absorbed will grow. If it is placed in Muan or Suncheon, there may be increased backlash from Gwangju and other regions." They added, "Locating the main office functions in the Joint Innovation City, which holds symbolic significance for both Gwangju and Jeonnam, can guarantee both the centrality of Gwangju and the autonomy of Jeonnam."

The committee also proposed that the main office should be designed as a small-scale strategic office rather than a large-scale building. Only essential strategic functions—such as the mayor's office, secretariat, planning and coordination, budgeting, audit, legal affairs, external cooperation, and data operations—should be included, while practical administrative functions should be distributed to regional functional offices.

Regarding the distribution of functions by region, the committee suggested allocating AI, culture, healthcare, universities, and urban innovation to the Gwangju region; agriculture, fisheries, marine affairs, ports, airports, and island policy to the southwestern region; and industry, energy, port logistics, and South Coast strategy to the eastern region, respectively.

The committee stated, "If only the office location is announced, conflict may erupt again. It is necessary to specify which regional office has what legal authority, what budget it manages, how many civil servants are stationed there, and what decision-making power each holds."

They further argued, "The main office of the Integrated Special City should not be the center of power but a control room for integration," adding, "A small but strong strategic office, empowered regional functional offices, and accountable regional administration are the keys to resolving the conflicts over the office location."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.