Gwangju Special City Council Launches Special Committees on Semiconductors, 20 Trillion Won Support Fund, and Public Institution Relocation

Formation of Three Major Special Committees Planned at the 2nd Extraordinary Session
Quasi-Permanent Bodies to Address Key Issues of the Special City

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City Council (Gwangju Special City Council) is moving to establish three special committees to address key issues that will determine the future of the unified special city, including the creation of a national semiconductor cluster, utilization of 20 trillion won in unified support funds, and the second phase relocation of public institutions.

According to the Gwangju Special City Council on July 8, resolutions to form the Semiconductor Special Committee, Unified Support Fund Special Committee, and Public Institutions Relocation Special Committee are scheduled to be submitted during the 2nd extraordinary session, which will be held from July 13 to July 22.

This initiative to establish special committees is seen as a measure to systematically manage large-scale national projects and policy issues that have poured in immediately after the launch of the unified special city, and to strengthen the council's role in both supporting and overseeing these matters.

At dawn on the 1st, the scene of the first extraordinary session held in the main meeting hall of the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City Council in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Shim Jinseok

The Semiconductor Special Committee will be dedicated to legislative activities related to the government-led semiconductor cluster project in the Honam region. Its responsibilities will include securing budgets, submitting recommendations to the government, and supporting legislative and regulatory improvements to ensure the smooth progress of the semiconductor fab construction project, which will see 800 trillion won invested—led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix—at the Gwangju military airport site.

In particular, since the semiconductor cluster project is connected to a wide range of areas such as water and electricity supply, education and talent development, and improvements to residential conditions, it is expected to be operated as a comprehensive special committee involving the Future Industry Committee, the Climate, Environment and Energy Committee, the Job and Economy Committee, and the Administration and Firefighting Committee, among others.

A special committee will also be formed to discuss how to utilize the 20 trillion won unified support fund. The role of this committee will be to suggest policy directions to ensure that the government funding—5 trillion won per year over four years to support the unified special city—is used effectively for balanced regional development and securing future growth engines.

The Public Institutions Relocation Special Committee will serve as a council-level response channel ahead of the government's announcement of the second phase of public institution relocations, expected in September. With the possibility of 20 to 40 public institutions in the Seoul metropolitan area being relocated, the committee is expected to develop strategies for attracting institutions, submit recommendations to the government, and coordinate between regions.

The council is considering operating these special committees not as typical short-term committees, but as quasi-permanent bodies for about a year. This is based on the assessment that continuous oversight, support, and policy proposals are needed, as these issues are not expected to be resolved in a short period of time.

Each special committee is expected to be composed of up to 10 council members, with the election of committee chairs and allocation to relevant standing committees to be discussed during the extraordinary session.

Meanwhile, the formation of these special committees is being viewed as a symbolic move demonstrating the first council of the unified special city’s determination to expand its role beyond simply reviewing ordinances and budgets to leading the attraction of national projects and shaping future strategies for the region.

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