Only Deregulation of Gyeonggi Province is the Strength to Face China

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo emphasized on the 26th that "only deregulation of Gyeonggi Province is the sole strength to stand against rapidly growing China."

Governor Kim made this assertion at the "2006 College of Engineering CEO Keynote Lecture" held at Ajou University, stating that "Gyeonggi Province, which is 17 times larger than Seoul, is subject to the same regulations as Seoul merely because it is part of the Seoul metropolitan area, resulting in substantial capital outflows to foreign countries."

Governor Kim said, "China, which faces our nation, has a population of 92 million in Shandong Province alone, and Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon combined account for only 70 percent of Beijing's area," and expounded on his long-held conviction of the "Greater Capital Region Theory," stating that "to compete against rapidly growing China, the economic zone itself must be integrated."

He also remarked, "During my college years, I protested and opposed President Park Chung-hee's policy to foster heavy and chemical industries, but that was a mistake. It seems President Park possessed great foresight."

Governor Kim continued, "The reason our nation lived better than China for the past 30 years is because we have maintained an alliance with the United States," and added, "The Korea-US FTA will serve as a groundbreaking stepping stone toward becoming an advanced nation."