Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun Elected as Chair of 'Overcrowded Restriction Zone Deregulation Task Force'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Lee Jae-jun, Suwon Special City Mayor, has been elected as chair of the 'Overcrowded Restriction Zone Deregulation Task Force.'

Mayors from 12 cities in the overcrowded restriction zone and National Assembly members held a launch ceremony for the Overcrowded Restriction Zone Deregulation Task Force on the 10th at the second seminar room of the National Assembly Members' Hall, electing Mayor Lee Jae-jun, Goyang Mayor Lee Dong-hwan, and Legislator Yeom Tae-young (representing Suwon District) as co-chairs.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, "It is time to review overcrowded restriction zone regulations to fit the changing era," and added, "I will work hard for deregulation of overcrowded restriction zones by joining forces with local government leaders and National Assembly members in the overcrowded restriction zone."

The Overcrowded Restriction Zone Deregulation Task Force is a policy coordination body comprised of mayors from 12 cities and National Assembly members, which will coordinate joint responses to eliminate and ease unreasonable regulations in overcrowded restriction zones and actively cooperate in joint sponsorship of related legal amendments.

The task force plans to expand participation to include experts and citizens to publicize the agenda regarding overcrowded restriction zone regulations.

Following the launch ceremony, a 'Overcrowded Restriction Zone Transfer Tax Premium Easing Discussion Forum' was held, co-hosted by 12 National Assembly members from the overcrowded restriction zone and jointly organized by the Overcrowded Restriction Zone Local Governments Joint Response Council (Chair Lee Jae-jun) and the Suwon City Research Institute. The forum proceeded with keynote presentations and discussions.

Yang Eun-soon, Director of Urban Management at the Suwon City Research Institute, who presented on the theme of 'Overcrowded Restriction Zones Hindering National Growth and Development,' stated, "Deregulation is necessary for overall national growth," and argued, "We must shift to a metropolitan-oriented metropolitan urban planning system."

Hong Geun-seok, Research Fellow at the Local Finance Research Center of the Korea Local Administration Research Institute, who presented on the theme of 'Improvement Plans for Industrial Zone Regulations in the Metropolitan Overcrowded Restriction Zone,' said, "It is necessary to classify the metropolitan adjustment zone considering changes in social and economic environments," and added, "Customized differential management taking local characteristics into account is needed."

Under the Metropolitan Adjustment Planning Act, companies in the overcrowded restriction zone that establish or relocate factories face a three-fold increase in real estate acquisition tax and corporate registration license tax. Due to excessive tax burdens, many companies in overcrowded restriction zones have relocated to areas without such regulations.