Yongin Mayor Baek Gun-ki: "2022 Special City Inaugural Year...Resolve to End and Begin Again"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] "In 2022, the inaugural year of our elevation to special city status, we will play a central role as the 'K-Semiconductor Belt' hub city and advance further as a global semiconductor city."

Yongin Mayor Baek Gun-ki expressed this ambition at the 2022 New Year press conference held at the Ace Hall of City Hall on the 11th.

Placing an emphasis on the 'eco-friendly ecological self-sufficient city' that has been strongly pursued, and redirecting city governance values toward 'people'—so that all policies point toward citizens—the city takes another step toward becoming a 'prestigious world-class city.'

In particular, the city plans to nurture high-quality semiconductor talent through attracting a semiconductor high school and establishing semiconductor departments within local universities, while building partnership relations with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, as well as key small and medium-sized companies like Lam Research and ASML to pioneer the city's 100-year future.

On this day, Mayor Baek presented visions and detailed tasks across five sectors: environment, economy, transportation·housing, welfare, and culture·sports·tourism.

▲Completion of a sustainable eco-friendly ecological city through green energy transition ▲Completion of an economic self-sufficient city where citizens, businesses, and small business owners grow together ▲Leap forward to a people-centered, balanced development city where people and nature harmonize ▲Creation of a warm welfare city and safety-first city for all ▲Creation of a culture·sports·tourism city where people enjoy happiness in daily life

First, a sustainable eco-friendly ecological city will be completed through green energy transition.

The 'Yongin Harmony Park,' totaling 2.77 million square meters (840,000 pyeong) in scale, organically connecting urban areas, greenery, waterways, roads, parks and other infrastructure in Cheoein-gu, will be developed as a healing landmark in the city.

The city's three representative reservoirs—Giheung, Idong, and Gogi—will be developed into pleasant parks offering citizens recreational spaces, while 13 long-pending urban parks will be completed by 2025.

The supply of eco-friendly green mobility such as electric and hydrogen vehicles will be expanded, with electric charging stations increasing to 300 by 2030. Hydrogen fuel cell power plants with 170MW capacity will be built in four locations—Pogok, Namdong, Wonsam, and Bojeong—by 2028.

Two resource recycling infrastructure facilities, including Yongin Eco Town in Pogok-eup and the Living Resource Recovery Center in Idong-eup, will also be expanded. In Uyun-ri, Pogok-eup, a comprehensive environmental education center utilizing the Gyeongan Stream and environmental infrastructure will serve as a one-stop environmental education hub.

Detailed strategies for completing an economic self-sufficient city where citizens, businesses, and small business owners grow together have also been announced.

By 2028, a total of 29 industrial complexes—including the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial District, 21 general industrial districts such as Jigok and Wonsam, and 8 advanced urban industrial districts including Giheung Hynix, ICT Valley, and Giheung Future—will be developed, creating 77,000 quality jobs.

To assist small business owners facing difficulties from prolonged COVID-19, the regional currency 'Yongin Y-Pay' will be expanded to 300 billion won in scale, while supporting small business owners through 'card fee support for revitalizing small business spirits' and 'special guarantee fee support' to alleviate their economic burden.

Additionally, corporate support measures including influencer marketing, untact export counseling services, and export mentoring will be expanded from small and medium enterprises to promising small business owners.

Strategies for building a balanced development city where people and nature harmonize have also been unveiled.

The '2035 Yongin Urban Master Plan' approved in 2018 will be re-established to devise new development plans reflecting current urban conditions. Through this, a growth management plan covering the entire city will be established, and balanced development reflecting regional characteristics of the three districts will be pursued.

Separate guidelines will be prepared so that the 'Namsa Self-sufficient Complex New City,' to be built across 6.2 million square meters (1.88 million pyeong) in Namsa-eup, Cheoein-gu, can be developed as a southwestern hub eco-friendly ecological city for Yongin.

Shinkal-ogi Street, selected for the Urban Regeneration New Deal competition in 2020 and currently undergoing development of museum art street, silver care center, and resident sharing platforms, along with two other representative old downtown areas—Jungang-dong and Guseoung·Mabuk—will pursue differentiated urban regeneration projects utilizing their unique characteristics and resources.

The Seoul-Sejong Expressway (December) and the Icheon-Osan Second Outer Ring Expressway (March) will open within the year, with interchanges for expressway access significantly expanded and improved.

Additionally, prompt construction of the 'Bundang Line' reflected in the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan, reflection of the 'Dongbaek-Shinbong New Transit System' and 'Yongin Light Rail Gwanggyo Extension Plan' in Gyeonggi Province's urban rail network construction plan, and active promotion of establishing the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster Station' on the Pyeongtak-Bubal line will be pursued.

A warm welfare city and safety-first city will be created to comprehensively and carefully support all citizens.

For the first time this year, 'school entrance preparation funds' of 100,000 won will be provided to approximately 37,000 elementary, middle, and high school students to reduce parent burden, and 'school commute bus operation expenses' will be supported for elementary and middle school students commuting long distances for safe commuting.

To help young people achieve independence, software purchase costs will be supported for the first time nationally this year, and 200,000 won in discharge support funds will be provided to discharged service members.

Expansion of AI-based non-contact elderly care services such as the 'Yongin Silver Care Soon' expansion and free shingles vaccination for vulnerable elderly will be implemented.

Maternity support funds for families with disabilities will be expanded to include male people with disabilities, and farmers will receive 600,000 won per capita annually in basic farmer income.

In particular, from the 13th, following the elevation to special city status, the basic asset standards for social welfare benefits will be substantially raised, allowing approximately 10,000 additional citizens to receive social welfare benefits.

A culture·sports·tourism city where people enjoy happiness in daily life will support healthy cultural and leisure activities for citizens.

Eight living SOCs including 'Yongin Creative Science Libraries' in the three districts of Cheoein, Giheung, and Suji, 'Heungdeok Youth Culture House,' and '(Tentative name) East-area Women's Welfare Center' will be expanded.

In 2022, Yongin City will host the Gyeonggi Province General Sports Festival for the first time. With 13 billion won invested to maintain and expand 14 sports facilities, preparations are underway for 13 million Gyeonggi Province residents to experience a festival of harmony and joy.

In particular, an online AI sports broadcast system will be established to operate a safe and successful event amid the crisis of COVID-19.

Mayor Baek Gun-ki stated, "With the new resolve of 'jeong-i-busti' (終而復始, ending one thing and beginning again in succession), my duty and mission as mayor is to guide city administration in a better direction and enrich the lives of citizens. I will dedicate my passion during the remaining period without forgetting this commitment."