President Lee Meets Local Government Heads: "No Future for South Korea if Metropolitan Crisis and Regional Extinction Remain Unresolved" (Comprehensive)

Luncheon at the Blue House Invites 227 Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads from the 9th Term
Lee: "Expanding Substantive Authority and Financial Resources for Local Governments... Stronger Support for Regions Farther from Seoul"
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On August 27, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "The crisis of overconcentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and the issue of the potential disappearance of local regions simultaneously pose serious threats to South Korea from both perspectives." He added, "If these problems are not resolved, there is no future for South Korea." He also emphasized that the government will further expand practical powers and financial support to allow local governments to develop their own growth strategies and will continue balanced development policies that provide stronger support to areas farther from Seoul.

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a greeting at the luncheon meeting with mayors, county governors, and district chiefs invited for the 9th local election term held at the Blue House on August 27, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

On that day, at the Blue House guesthouse, President Lee hosted a luncheon meeting with 227 mayors, county governors, and district chiefs from across the country, elected in the 9th local election term. He said, "Only by alleviating the chronic overconcentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and unlocking the potential of the entire nation, creating an 'era of growth for all regions,' can we secure our future and hope." This was President Lee's first gathering with grassroots local government leaders since the launch of the 9th-term local governments last month.

President Lee presented the dissolution of the single-centered metropolitan system as a national survival task. He remarked, "As autonomous local governments mark their 31st anniversary this year, their capabilities and roles have grown significantly, but there are still many challenges to tackle." He identified metropolitan overconcentration, the potential disappearance of local regions, and low birth rates and aging populations as the main crises facing the country.

He then mentioned the government's ongoing "Five Hubs, Three Special Zones" national land restructuring plan and three major megaprojects, stating, "The reason we are actively reorganizing the industrial map nationwide and working to improve local living conditions—including housing, education, welfare, and culture—is precisely because of these issues."

As an approach to balanced development, President Lee once again emphasized "local-led growth." He said, "We will continue to focus on expanding the practical authorities and finances of local governments so that each region can utilize its unique characteristics and advantages to plan, grow, and advance on its own."

He specifically stated, "We have established special provisions so that areas farther from Seoul receive stronger support," and announced that the government will continue to develop support measures tailored to each region's circumstances. He also called on local governments to actively propose reasonable ideas whenever the opportunity arises. Investments in education for talent and technology development, as well as in regional transportation, cultural facilities, and tourism policies, were also presented as foundations for local-led growth.

President of the Association of Mayors, County Chiefs, and District Heads, Jaegu Cho, Mayor of Namgu District in Daegu, is speaking at the luncheon meeting hosted by President Jae-myung Lee for the invited mayors, county chiefs, and district heads of the 9th local election term at the Blue House on August 27, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

President Lee also urged cooperation between the central and local governments. He stated, "Local governments are on the front lines, closest to the people, able to protect and change citizens' lives," and added, "The start of administration, the completion of welfare, and the seeds of innovation all come from local regions." He emphasized, "To overcome the single-centered metropolitan system and achieve coexistence and co-development between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions, cooperation between central and local governments is essential. The central and local governments need to unite as one team, working together in harmony."

Jaegu Cho, President of the Association of Mayors, County Chiefs, and District Heads (and Mayor of Namgu District, Daegu), expressed gratitude for the expanded participation of basic local government heads in the Central-Local Cooperation Council and for allowing the association president to attend Cabinet meetings. He stated, "Local governments have served as reliable pillars in times of disasters and national crises, such as wildfires, typhoons, and epidemics. I hope this gathering will be a new starting point where central and local governments become partners in national governance, based on mutual understanding and trust."

During the subsequent luncheon meeting, a range of proposals were made on issues closely related to residents' everyday lives, including securing continuity of support for areas facing population decline, improving living conditions in a way that residents can directly experience, supporting the establishment of integrated care services, and alleviating the burdens on local governments regarding youth policies.

Kim Mun-geun, Governor of Danyang County in North Chungcheong Province, emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of administrative and financial support so that regions witnessing population growth thanks to basic local government efforts do not face disadvantages. Inho Hwang, Mayor of Dong-gu District in Daejeon, requested active support for local governments that have difficulty handling dedicated personnel and labor costs following the implementation of the Integrated Care Support Act. Haksoo Lee, Mayor of Jeongeup City in North Jeolla Province, suggested that if the government provides youth policy funds from each ministry to basic local governments in the form of block grants, it will allow for more effective planning and implementation of policies tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of local young people.

After attentively listening to these suggestions, President Lee urged relevant ministries to carefully review them so that important administrative needs at the grassroots level can be quickly reflected in national policy. He encouraged the participants by saying, "Each of these tasks is difficult and challenging, but I believe that if the central and local governments pool their wisdom and strength, we can achieve balanced growth in the regions and build a sustainable Republic of Korea." President Lee also stressed the autonomy and responsibility of local governments, saying, "I hope you will call yourselves 'local governments' rather than 'local autonomous organizations.'"

Prior to the luncheon, the 9th-term mayors, county governors, and district chiefs adopted the "Declaration of Local Government Action for Residents," pledging to build local governments accountable for residents' happiness and safety.

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