Issue Namyangju Megacity Needs 'Tangible Employment Engine' Befitting Fourth Industrial Revolution Era

[News S=Reporter Kim Jin-ho] Namyangju City, which has rapidly risen to become a true 'megacity' with the largest land area and population of 740,000 among cities in Gyeonggi Province, faces a critical crossroads as the next mayoral election approaches.

As the competition between incumbent Mayor Ju Gwang-deok (People Power Party) and candidate Choi Hyun-deok (Democratic Party) intensifies, the biggest issue of this election is undoubtedly 'practical economic strategy to solve citizens' livelihood problems.'

Namyangju City has driven urban growth based on its vast territory, but carries the long-standing burden of overlapping regulations such as water source protection zones.

In particular, residents of Joan-myeon and Hwado-eup continue to feel high economic constraints. Citizens are calling on candidates to inherit existing deregulation efforts while taking a step further, demanding that innovative economic revitalization measures be concretized as campaign promises, such as introducing a 'regulatory sandbox' that applies regulatory exemptions to specific industries.

Most importantly, citizens are sending both anticipation and sharp criticism regarding Wangsuk New Town's corporate recruitment strategy, which is key to completing Namyangju's economic self-sufficiency. Data centers, which are currently the focus of active recruitment discussions, have high value as digital infrastructure but show clear limitations in actually creating jobs within the region.

In the past, Gyeonggi Province agreed to sell the site of the Suwon Construction Headquarters through negotiated contract under the pretext of building a 'Samsung Electronics Research Institute.' However, the result was different, critics point out.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. transferred the site to Samsung SDS Co., Ltd., contrary to its initial promise, and what was built there was not a research institute bustling with researchers but Samsung SDS Co., Ltd.'s 'Suwon Data Center.' This case, where the promise to create jobs became hollow, suggests that corporate recruitment should focus on 'substance' rather than 'name.'

Accordingly, Namyangju civic society states, "We do not want to be merely a bedroom satellite city, but a confident economic hub in northeastern Gyeonggi Province," and demands that "the next mayoral candidates must answer with concrete policies: how will they equip Namyangju with a 'tangible employment engine' responsible for the next 100 years of the city's future."