Shin Jeonghoon Asserts, "The Solution to Regional Extinction Begins with Regulatory Innovation"

Attendance at the National Assembly Research Service Meeting
Calls for Improvement of Metropolitan Transportation and Green Belt Policies

Shin Jeonghoon, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Naju and Hwasun, emphasized the need to improve the current legal and institutional framework through legislation, stating, "The existing laws and systems, designed mainly for the Seoul metropolitan area, fail to reflect the realities of regional areas."

On July 10, during a field meeting hosted by the National Assembly Research Service at Naju City Hall, Shin stated, "Correcting the uniform regulations that disregard the circumstances of local areas is the starting point for strengthening regional self-sufficiency and addressing the issue of regional extinction."

The meeting was attended by Assemblyman Shin Jeonghoon, Lee Gwanhoo, Director of the National Assembly Research Service, members of the research task force (TF), and senior officials from Naju City, among others.

Assemblyman Shin Jeonghun.

Participants discussed legislative and institutional improvement measures to address key issues facing Naju and South Jeolla Province, including the second phase of relocating public institutions to innovation cities, enacting special laws for establishing an energy-specialized city, fostering regionally specialized industries, easing or adjusting development-restricted zones, establishing the Yeongsan River National Garden, and resolving disparities in local medical services.

In his opening remarks, Shin Jeonghoon said, "Although the Roh Moo-hyun administration established Naju Innovation City as a hub for balanced national development, ensuring that central government policies actually take root in local areas is a separate challenge." He stressed, "We must address institutional limitations arising from insufficient communication between the central and local governments through legislation."

He particularly highlighted the need to revisit multi-residence regulations on local housing, pointing out that identical standards are being applied even though housing and population conditions in metropolitan and regional areas are vastly different.

He also argued that the current system for metropolitan transportation policies does not reflect the realities of regional areas.

Shin Jeonghoon stated, "The current system, which focuses on connecting adjacent areas, fails to account for the significant demand for long-distance travel in the regions. If metropolitan standards are applied as-is, annual operating losses of 20 billion to 30 billion won are expected. Therefore, it is necessary to overhaul the public transportation system and regulations—established over 40 years ago—to better suit the realities of local communities."

Regarding development-restricted zones, he remarked, "Even plains and general farmland, which have no direct link to urban sprawl, are uniformly included, thereby hindering regional development. There is a need to reassess the original purpose of designation and the actual land use, and to adjust any unreasonable zones accordingly."

Shin Jeonghoon concluded, "I will continue to work closely with the National Assembly Research Service to ensure that voices from the field lead to practical legislative and institutional improvements."

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