Yongin City with Population of 1.1 Million Becomes 'Special Status City'...Mayor Baek Gyun-ki Says "Heart Overflowing with Pride"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Yongin City has been designated as a 'Special Status City,' fulfilling the long-held aspirations of 1.1 million Yongin residents.

As the 'Comprehensive Revision Bill of the Local Autonomy Act,' which grants Special Status City status to large cities with a population of one million, passed its final vote in the National Assembly on the 9th, Yongin City has been elevated to Special Status City status 25 years after its city designation.

The Comprehensive Revision Bill of the Local Autonomy Act holds great significance in strengthening the autonomy of local governments, converting the relationship between central and local governments to a horizontal and independent one, and laying a legal foundation for decentralization.

Key provisions include Special Status City designation for cities with a population of one million, ▲laying groundwork for diversification of institutional structures of local governments ▲imposing information disclosure obligations to residents ▲improving resident petition and audit request systems ▲introducing resident-initiated ordinance system ▲institutionalizing central-local cooperation relationships ▲improving inter-local government cooperation systems ▲enhancing local assembly operational autonomy and capacity building, and others.

A Special Status City is a new type of local government that maintains the status of a basic autonomous entity while being granted differentiated autonomous authority and discretionary powers distinct from ordinary cities.

As a Special Status City, autonomous urban development becomes possible, allowing the formulation of customized urban development strategies tailored to local circumstances, and policy decisions can be made quickly as direct negotiations with the central government become possible without going through metropolitan-level local governments.

This is expected to accelerate the speed of implementation of 'Gyeonggi Yongin Platform City' and 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster,' which the city is strategically promoting, and is anticipated to be advantageous in attracting large-scale financial investment projects and national strategic projects in advanced industries, tourism, R&D, and related sectors.

Furthermore, as administrative procedures are simplified, faster administrative services can be provided to residents, and as the welfare benefit selection criteria at the level of metropolitan cities are applied, practical welfare benefits that residents can directly feel increase, such as increases in basic pension, disability pension, and livelihood assistance payments.

Most importantly, through the Special Status City urban brand and enhanced urban competitiveness, a virtuous cycle structure is expected to be established, encompassing business attraction, job creation, economic growth, and corporate reinvestment, thereby activating the regional economy.

The city has made continuous efforts toward Special Status City designation since 2018, actively responding to the changed local administrative environment by launching a 'Special Status City Joint Response Organization' with Suwon, Goyang, and Changwon cities in South Gyeongsang Province, which are large cities with populations exceeding one million.

Additionally, the city has worked closely with regional congressional representatives through National Assembly forums and meetings, and visited the Administrative Safety Committee to propose the legislative necessity of the Comprehensive Revision Bill of the Local Autonomy Act.

The four cities held a 'Four Major Cities Joint Commemoration Ceremony' at the National Assembly on this day and declared through a joint welcome address that "the era of Special Status Cities that all residents have longed for is now fully open," adding that "we will continue endless consultations with the National Assembly, the government, and metropolitan-level local governments to secure authority commensurate with Special Status City status and to develop our regions more proactively."

Yongin Mayor Baek Gyun-ki stated, "Today is the glorious day when Yongin City has been designated as a Special Status City. It is a source of pride to be a Yongin resident, and my heart overflows with emotion," adding, "Now that Yongin Special Status City status has been designated, there are many mountains to climb ahead to be recognized for substantive special treatment. I believe we have taken our first step today."

He continued, "It is no exaggeration to say that we have realized Yongin Special Status City with the strength of Yongin residents. While the journey ahead will not be easy, with your support it will not be difficult. I sincerely ask for your continued interest and support going forward."