South Chungcheong Governor Park Soo-hyun: “Place 50 public institutions in South Chungcheong Innovation City in the second round of relocations”

[Financial News, Hongseong = Reporter Kim Won-jun] Park Soo-hyun, governor of South Chungcheong Province, urged the government to place 50 public institutions in South Chungcheong Innovation City during the second round of public institution relocations.
On the 22nd, Governor Park visited the Presidential Committee on Local Era and met with its chair, Park Jeong-hyeon, to discuss issues related to balanced regional development and securing future growth engines.
His requests included: revitalizing South Chungcheong Innovation City through the second round of public institution relocations; attracting the integrated headquarters of state-run power companies to South Chungcheong Province; selecting Cheonan as a candidate site for the National Institute of Dental Research; additionally designating a tertiary general hospital in northern South Chungcheong Province; enacting a special act for the Chungcheong Special Metropolitan Union and improving relevant systems; supporting the successful hosting of the 2027 Chungcheong World University Games; offsetting the decrease in local allocation tax resulting from the establishment of the Future Response Fund; and transferring the functions of special local administrative agencies to the Chungcheong Special Metropolitan Union.
Governor Park said, “South Chungcheong Innovation City was designated in October 2020, but no public institutions have relocated there to date,” adding that “the relocation of public institutions tailored to and connected with local industries must be expedited.”

South Chungcheong Province requested the relocation of 50 institutions across four functional groups, taking industrial conditions and regional characteristics into account: climate, energy and environment; economy and industry; national defense; and culture, sports and tourism. The leading group, climate, energy and environment, comprises 10 institutions in climate and the environment, including Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco) and Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, and five in energy transition, including Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning and Korea Petroleum Quality & Distribution Authority—30% of the target.
In the economy and industry field, the plan is to attract policy-finance institutions such as Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), as well as institutions supporting industrial development such as Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Korea Small Business Institute (KOSBI), and develop the province into a hub of industrial innovation. In national defense, the plan is to place Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) and other institutions in Nonsan and Gyeryong, where key military infrastructure is concentrated, and develop the area into a hub for defense research and industry. In culture, sports and tourism, the province aims to attract Korean Broadcasting System, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) and Korea Culture & Tourism Institute.
Taking into account South Chungcheong Province’s relatively disadvantaged position in public institution relocations since the launch of Sejong City and the designation of innovation cities, Governor Park also called for “compensatory priority relocation.” He explained, “To respond to the economic downturn and industrial transition resulting from the closure of coal-fired power plants, public institutions in climate, energy and the environment should be relocated as a priority.”
Discussions on the second round of public institution relocations are already gaining momentum. The government plans to finalize its second-round relocation plan during the fourth quarter of this year and begin pilot relocations next year. It intends to speed up the process by leasing private buildings and other means, rather than waiting for new headquarters to be built as it did in the first round. In its policy direction announced on the 3rd, the government set out five principles: minimizing the number of institutions remaining in the Seoul metropolitan area; concentrating placements in existing innovation cities; linking institutions with regional universities and industries; creating self-sustaining residential environments; and expediting relocations.

South Chungcheong Province also identified attracting the integrated headquarters of state-run power companies as a major priority. Governor Park cited four reasons: it is the optimal location for the headquarters to fulfill its role; it is ideally situated to supply energy to advanced industries with high electricity demand; it is a center of power generation; and it would advance balanced national development. In particular, he stressed, “Article 3, Paragraph 4 of the ‘Special Act on Support for Workers at Coal-Fired Power Plants and Areas Facing Their Closure’ stipulates that transitioning areas where plants are being retired to carbon-free power generation is a national obligation.” He added, “If the integrated headquarters is located in South Chungcheong Province, where 22 coal-fired power units are scheduled to be retired by 2038, just-transition policies can be effectively implemented on the ground.” He also pointed to the province’s proximity to power consumers in the Chungcheong and Seoul metropolitan regions and its ability to use existing infrastructure, which would allow it to efficiently supply energy to power-intensive industries, including the three mega-projects.

Governor Park also asked that Cheonan be selected as a candidate site for the National Institute of Dental Research to strengthen the region’s medical and research infrastructure. He highlighted Cheonan’s transportation links and the strength of its dental education and medical infrastructure. He also requested the additional designation of a tertiary general hospital in northern South Chungcheong Province to address disparities in access to medical care.
South Chungcheong Province plans to continue discussions with relevant ministries and the Presidential Committee on Local Era and work to ensure its proposals are reflected in policy. It also plans to strengthen cooperation among the four municipal and provincial governments in the Chungcheong region, centered on the Chungcheong Special Metropolitan Union, and pursue joint projects across the wider region.
Governor Park stressed, “Revitalizing South Chungcheong Innovation City through the second round of public institution relocations and attracting the integrated headquarters of state-run power companies are important tasks for laying the foundation for South Chungcheong’s future growth and achieving balanced national development.” He continued, “As the first head of the Chungcheong Special Metropolitan Union in the ninth popularly elected term, I believe we must develop a shared growth strategy, given how closely connected the Chungcheong region is across fields such as administration, industry and transportation.” He added, “I hope the government will actively support us so that shared priorities, including enacting a special act for the Chungcheong Special Metropolitan Union and successfully hosting the 2027 Chungcheong World University Games, lead to tangible results.”

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter