Dongducheon Holds 2017 Gyeongwon-Axis Regional Happiness Living Sphere Council Meeting

Dongducheon City (Mayor Oh Se-chang) announced on the 5th that it held the '2017 Gyeongwon-Axis Regional Happiness Living Sphere Council' (hereinafter referred to as the Gyeongwon-Axis Council) at the city hall situation room, attended by mayors and county heads of Uijeongbu City, Yangju City, Pocheon City, and Yeoncheon County, as well as 22 people including city council members, government officials, and private members.

The Gyeongwon-Axis Council, after constituting the living sphere in January 2014, was held twice under the leadership of Yangju City, and following the second council meeting in July 2016 where the Dongducheon City Mayor was elected as the chairperson of the second-term council, it was held for the third time under the auspices of Dongducheon City.

The meeting proceeded in order: starting with a progress report on the Gyeongwon-Axis living sphere initiative, followed by discussions on the status of five linked cooperative projects stipulated in 2016, new joint cooperative projects for 2017, and other pending matters (Gyeonggi division).

The Gyeongwon-Axis Council has been operating as an exemplary and pioneering living sphere within Gyeonggi Province, and as a result of continuously communicating on regional issues with one another, the '4通3安 Gyeongwon-Axis Safe Living System Construction Project' (a project to improve the deteriorated street landscapes centered on National Highway 3 and National Highway 43) was selected in March as a 2017 leading project by the Regional Development Committee (Presidential office). This marked the first achievement in which five cities and counties jointly promoted a project since the establishment of the living sphere.

The agenda items discussed as 2016 linked cooperative projects are as follows: ▲Construction of a joint scholarship office for northern Gyeonggi ▲Policy improvement on returned public-use land ▲Promotion of increased Metro Line 1 service ▲Construction of Gyeongwon-Axis Start-Up Campus ▲Development of uncompleted bicycle path sections between Han River and Cheorwon, totaling five projects.

Regarding the construction of a joint scholarship office for northern Gyeonggi, it was decided to proceed by receiving free transfer of the remaining land at the Gyeonggi Province Scholarship Office site located in Dobong-gu, Seoul, from Gyeonggi Province. However, ownership was transferred to Gyeonggi Urban Corporation, and since a happiness housing project is currently underway, it was concluded that project implementation is not feasible.

The policy improvement project for returned public-use land involves upward adjustment of the support range and scale under the Special Law on Support for Public-Use Areas and reducing various charges. Currently, the revised bill is under discussion at the subcommittee of the Administration and Safety Committee but remains pending, requiring closer joint response from the five cities and counties in the future.

The Metro Line 1 increased service promotion project aims to adjust the service time during non-peak hours from Yangju Station toward Dongducheon from 30 minutes to approximately 15 minutes. An agreement ceremony with related organizations is planned for the future.

The Gyeongwon-Axis Start-Up Campus construction project involves utilizing idle space at Gyeongbok University's Pocheon campus as a design-related business space to support the Gyeongwon-Axis textile and materials product production system, thereby creating startups and jobs. This project will be promoted as a mid-to-long-term development initiative in Pocheon City.

The uncompleted bicycle path section between Han River and Cheorwon will be developed through continuous consultation among Gyeonggi Province, Yeoncheon County, and Dongducheon City, with plans to open the bicycle path in 2020 after developing the disconnected sections.

The agenda items discussed as new joint cooperative projects for 2017 include: ▲Promotion of linked cooperation projects for border areas comprehensive development plan Dongducheon·Yangju (proposed by Dongducheon City) ▲Early construction of rapid transit bus system (BRT) routes and extension to Pocheon (proposed by Pocheon City), totaling two projects.

The border areas comprehensive development plan linked cooperation project proposed by Dongducheon City involves cooperation related to the Happa-ri area development project jointly promoted with Yangju City to resolve odor issues for residents in Dongducheon's new city district. The matter requires timing adjustments for Yangju City's project and inclusion in an administration and self-governance ministry project.

The rapid transit bus system (BRT) route early construction and extension to Pocheon project proposed by Uijeongbu City contains matters requesting cooperation from Uijeongbu City for the prompt advancement of the Dobong-ro to National Highway 43 BRT project.

Finally, the Gyeongwon-Axis Council also exchanged opinions among the five cities and counties regarding Gyeonggi division, which has recently become an issue due to Rep. Kim Sung-won (Dongducheon·Yeoncheon) taking the lead in proposing legislation to establish Gyeonggi Province North and Provincial Councilor Park Hyung-deok making remarks calling for the establishment of Gyeonggi Province North.

Dongducheon City Mayor Oh Se-chang stated, "I hope that the Gyeongwon-Axis Regional Happiness Living Sphere will further solidify the cooperation system of the living sphere across administrative boundaries of the five cities and counties, and contribute to regional development as well as enhancing citizens' convenience."

Meanwhile, the Gyeongwon-Axis Council decided that, regarding the discussed agenda items, not only will the five cities and counties respond jointly, but they will also work together to improve the quality of life of local residents.