"'Chungcheong Megacity' Moves to Secure Substantive Authority"... Four Chungcheong Cities and Provinces Push for Special Act

[Financial News] Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, the country's first special local government, has moved to enact a special act to transform itself from a simple cooperation framework into a supra-metropolitan administrative entity with substantive administrative and fiscal authority.
 Daejeon, Sejong City, South Chungcheong Province and Chungcheongbuk-do held a policy forum on the enactment of a special act for the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union at the Seoul Kensington Hotel on the 2nd. They also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the union's authority and establish its institutional foundation.
 The signing ceremony was attended by Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong, Sejong City Mayor Cho Sang-ho, South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun, Chungcheongbuk-do Governor Shin Yong-han, Chungcheong Metropolitan Union Council Chairman Gu Hyeong-seo, and other regional leaders and officials. They joined forces in support of enacting the special act.
 The special bill proposed by the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union contains numerous bold special provisions aimed at achieving a substantive transition to a supra-metropolitan entity.
 Key provisions include establishing a support committee under the prime minister; providing national financial support for supra-metropolitan projects and increasing national subsidy rates; directly implementing regional projects and comprehensively deeming permits and approvals; jointly developing advanced industries and designating regulatory-free zones; and allowing the head of the union to attend meetings of the State Council of South Korea.
 The four local governments agreed that the union's authority and finances must be legally guaranteed to counter the Seoul metropolitan area-centered system and achieve shared prosperity in Chungcheong. They plan to submit a joint proposal to the National Assembly and the central government while strengthening public outreach and communication.
 Experts also offered suggestions on the specific direction of the legislation at the policy forum. Choi Ji-min, a center director at the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration, stressed that the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union should be established as the entity responsible for concluding agreements and executing accounts in line with the government's supra-metropolitan development schedule.
 Choi Hwan-yong, a senior research fellow at the Korea Legislation Research Institute (KLRI), proposed designing the special act around four stages: "defining administrative functions, granting authority, guaranteeing funding and securing accountability." He also recommended gradually expanding special provisions, beginning with transportation. Panelists likewise identified comprehensive devolution of authority, direct disbursement of funds and expansion of functions that deliver tangible benefits to residents as key priorities.
 Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong said, "The Chungcheong Metropolitan Union has launched and laid the foundation for supra-metropolitan cooperation, but securing substantive administrative and fiscal authority is urgent if it is to develop strong implementation capabilities." He added, "I will devote every effort to enacting the special act so that the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union does not remain a formal body, but becomes a leading force in a megacity that drives future industries and key projects."
 Meanwhile, as the crisis of regional extinction accelerates, Chungcheong's push to enact a special act is expected to serve as a milestone for other local governments pursuing supra-metropolitan megacity plans. Attempts at metropolitan cooperation among local governments have often remained at the level of symbolic consultative bodies or lost momentum because of conflicts of interest over individual projects. Analysts say that if Chungcheong secures legally guaranteed fiscal autonomy and special provisions for permits and approvals, it could become the first successful case of forming a hub economic region capable of standing against the Seoul metropolitan area.

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter