Min Hyeong-bae, Mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City: “I will open up a bigger future with citizens”

【Financial News, Jeonnam-Gwangju = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong】Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Metropolitan City mayor), held a press conference marking his 100th day in office in the business room at Gwangju City Hall on the 8th, saying, “Together with citizens, we will open up a bigger future through the power of integration.”
 Mayor Min Hyeong-bae said that day, “The past 100 days have been a time to feel the significance of integration and confirm its power and potential. Longstanding issues are being resolved, and new opportunities are opening up,” he said.
 As key achievements of his first 100 days in office, Mayor Min cited selecting a candidate site for the relocation of the military airport; advancing plans for semiconductor investment totaling 800 trillion won and collaboration to build infrastructure such as power and water supplies; a commitment to provide responsible support for development projects, including the creation of Muan National Industrial Complex; and establishing a national medical school and a regionally self-sufficient healthcare system.
 He stressed that “the time it takes to respond to companies’ requests has also shortened as a result of integration,” adding, “When wastewater treatment issues arose in connection with Amkor’s additional investment, the Special City and Jangseong County acted immediately to resolve them; we also attracted the quantum cluster, the first project selected through a national public competition since the launch; and the Gwangyang Bay Area was designated a national specialized complex for the secondary-battery industry, a national advanced strategic industry. All of these are the power of integration.”
 Mayor Min also said, “Of the eight key tasks across three areas closely tied to citizens’ daily lives in the ‘100-Day Integration Action Plan,’ three have met their targets and five are underway.” He explained that special discounts on the local currency, metropolitan bus services and the integrated emergency medical platform had entered the implementation phase; revisions to ordinances, the integration of public institutions and the establishment of a balanced development fund were proceeding through the prescribed processes; and a new system of symbols, including the CI, and the establishment of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Energy Corporation were being coordinated.
 On the future direction of municipal administration, Mayor Min said, “It is now time to ensure that the changes begun over the past 100 days take firmer root in our institutions and citizens’ lives.” He outlined priorities including improving the completeness of integrated administration; resolving urban transportation problems, including those related to Urban Rail Line 2; fully implementing the basic income program for rural and fishing communities next year; more closely connecting transportation and healthcare, as well as welfare and care; and creating new opportunities by linking cultural, tourism and sports resources.
 He also stressed that, to achieve “overwhelming growth for Jeonnam-Gwangju,” the region would ensure the success of the Honam region’s semiconductor megacluster; bring semiconductors together with artificial intelligence (AI), energy, future mobility and advanced materials in a single industrial ecosystem; and create new growth engines by bringing advanced technology and industrial opportunities to existing key sectors such as petrochemicals, automobiles and home appliances.
 Finally, Mayor Min said, “We will demonstrate most powerfully in Jeonnam-Gwangju ‘region-led growth,’ in which regions develop their own growth strategies and return the results to people in the form of jobs and income. We will create a new national growth axis that surpasses Seoul and a model of local government that will be a source of strength for South Korea.”
 He added, “Together with the residents of the Special City, we will build a ‘Special City where we live together’ that grows overwhelmingly and channels the strength of that growth back into the lives of all its citizens.”

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