President Lee: "Balanced Development Is a Survival Strategy, Not a Choice... Central and Local Governments Must Unite as One Team"

Presides Over the First Central-Local Cooperation Meeting of the Ninth Local Administration
"Overcrowding Crisis in the Capital, Extinction Risk in the Regions"
"Strategic Industries to Be Decentralized Through Three Mega-Projects"
"Industries and Jobs to Be Expanded Focusing on the Five Poles and Three Special Zones"

On August 26, President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his strong commitment to advancing balanced national development, stating, "Balanced development is not a matter of choice or charity; it is an essential strategy for Korea's survival and sustainable growth."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 10th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at the Blue House on the 26th. From the left: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yoon-cheol, Prime Minister Han Sung-sook, President Lee, Park Chan-dae, Chairman of the Association of Cities and Provinces (Mayor of Incheon), and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. August 26, 2026, Yonhap News Agency. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

During his opening remarks at the 10th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at the Blue House on the same day, President Lee said, "The root cause of virtually every major issue Korea faces today is the extreme regional imbalance," reiterating his stance. This meeting marked the first Central-Local Cooperation Meeting since the launch of the ninth round of local governments.

President Lee diagnosed, "The Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, is suffering from excessive overcrowding and is facing the risk of explosion, while other regions are conversely confronting the risk of extinction. This has resulted in reduced national efficiency and eroded overall competitiveness." He emphasized that this imbalance is undesirable not only for the capital region but for the country as a whole, underscoring that balanced development should be seen not just as a policy for regional assistance but as a core strategy to boost the nation's growth potential.

President Lee also highlighted the government's "three major mega-projects" as key policies for balanced development. His plan is to decentralize hubs for cutting-edge strategic industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), distributing them beyond the capital region to foster independent growth engines throughout the nation. He said, "The multi-polarization of strategic industries, as symbolized by the three major mega-projects, will be the key to ushering in an 'era of growth for all' in which the entire nation progresses together."

He continued, "Alongside the three major mega-projects, the central government is making every effort to foster next-generation strategic industries led by local governments. We will focus on expanding industries and jobs and will also devote efforts to improving living conditions in areas such as housing, education, and social welfare, with an emphasis on the ‘5-Poles, 3-Special Zones’ (5-guk 3-teuk) initiative." This means the government's goal is not merely to relocate businesses, but to build a regional growth ecosystem that integrates residential, education, and welfare infrastructure.

President Lee remarked, "Our system of local autonomy has achieved remarkable quantitative and qualitative progress," and urged, "We must now prepare for a new era of local administration, woven from more extensive civic participation, stronger regional alliances, and more rapid administrative innovation, building on the achievements of the past 31 years."

President Lee Jae-myung is greeting Min Hyung-bae, the Special Mayor of the Integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju region, at the 10th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at the Blue House on the 26th. In the center is Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul. August 26, 2026 Yonhap News Agency. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Defining local self-government as "grassroots democracy," President Lee also repeatedly stressed the importance of cooperation between the central and local governments as a decisive factor for the success of balanced development policies. He said, "All of these challenges cannot be addressed by the central government alone. The central and local governments are partners and a community of shared destiny, each bearing the historical responsibility of improving people's lives and ensuring the nation's sustainable development."

He continued, "I sincerely hope the central and local governments will communicate and collaborate closely as we chart a better future for Korea. By working together as 'one team,' I hope we can create an 'irreplaceable Korea' where all citizens can be happy."

Also in attendance at the meeting were Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yoon-chul, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan, and Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-geun. From the regional governments, Park Chan-dae, Chairman of the Association of Provincial Governors (Mayor of Incheon), along with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, Daegu Mayor Chu Kyung-ho, Daejeon Mayor Huh Tae-jung, Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook, Sejong Mayor Cho Sang-ho, Gyeonggi Province Governor Chu Mi-ae, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor Woo Sang-ho, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, South Gyeongsang Province Governor Park Wan-soo, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Wi Seong-gon, and other representatives from a total of 15 cities and provinces attended. Nam Jong-seop, Chairman of the Association of City and Provincial Council Chairs, Cho Jae-gu, Chairman of the Association of City, County, and District Heads, Oh Se-hyun, Mayor representative of the City, County, and District Heads Association, and Kim Cheol-woo, County representative, were also present.

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