Jeju Provincial Council and Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council Join Hands... From the Jeju uprising and Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 to Future Industries

[Financial News Jeju = Reporter Jeong Yong-bok] The local councils of South Korea's first Special Self-Governing Province and first Integrated Special City are launching a joint response covering everything from peace and human rights to future industries and decentralization. They are also activating a working-level cooperation system to pass on the historical lessons of the Jeju uprising and Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 to future generations and to jointly resolve local issues such as renewable energy, tourism, and balanced development.
According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council on the 3rd, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council and the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council signed a memorandum of understanding for friendly exchange and mutual cooperation in the main conference room of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council on the 1st.
The agreement was attended by key members of both councils, including Song Young-hoon, Chairman of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, and Song Hyeong-gon, Chairman of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council, as well as vice chairmen, standing committee chairmen, and floor leaders.
This agreement is significant in that it establishes a foundation for cooperation between Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea's first Special Self-Governing Province, and Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, the first Integrated Special City, to jointly discuss local autonomy and regional development tasks.
The first pillar of cooperation is the Jeju uprising and Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19. Based on the historical lessons left by these two events, the two councils agreed to exchange policies aimed at restoring the honor of the victims and promoting peace and human rights. They will also pursue joint academic and memorial events, as well as educational programs, to pass on the spirit of peace and human rights to future generations.
Prior to the agreement, the delegation from the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council visited the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park to commemorate the victims and examine the history of the Jeju uprising and the significance of peace and human rights.
The scope of cooperation expands to the regional economy and future industries. The two councils agreed to share policies for revitalizing the culture and tourism industries as well as international tourism, and to pursue policy cooperation in future energy sectors, including new and renewable energy and offshore wind power.
The joint tasks also included marine environmental conservation, climate crisis response, and the identification of policies to address regional decline and balanced development. This approach goes beyond merely sharing regional policies to jointly identify projects and institutional improvement tasks applicable to both regions.

Joint efforts to expand the authority of local councils will also be pursued. It has been decided to jointly conduct policy research and seminars to strengthen the powers of local councils, including autonomous legislative authority, and to expand local decentralization. Mutual visits between council members and staff of the council secretariat, training and education, and benchmarking of best practices in legislative affairs will also continue.
A follow-up body will also be established to ensure the agreement does not remain merely a declaration. The two councils plan to form a working group to concretize cooperation tasks by sector and to promote joint forums on future industry policies, joint training for council members and staff, and joint policy research for decentralization and the development of local councils.
In particular, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Jeonnam-Gwangju share the common challenge of changing their administrative systems. Marking the 20th anniversary of its launch as a Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is seeking ways to connect decentralization and special provisions to new industrial growth, while Jeonnam-Gwangju is in the stage of establishing a new metropolitan administration and council system following the launch of the Integrated Special City.
It is believed that if both councils share their respective experiences in institutional management and policy tasks, the scope of cooperation can be expanded in the fields of decentralization and balanced development.
Song Young-hoon, Chairman of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, stated, "It is highly significant that Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea's first Special Self-Governing Province, and Jeonnam-Gwangju, which launched as the nation's first Integrated Special City, have signed an agreement." He added, "The two regions have shared the historical pain of the Jeju uprising and Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19, and have upheld the values of peace and human rights together." He continued, "We will open up a future of mutual prosperity by closely cooperating on future industries, responses to regional decline, and the strengthening of local council authority."
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council and the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council plan to develop detailed projects centered on a working group and continue exchanges to strengthen the capabilities of local councils, promote regional development, and spread the values of peace and human rights.


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