Hwaseong City Holds Report on Special City Launch Preparations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Lee Su-won] Hwaseong City held a 'Report on Preparations for Special Municipal Affairs' on the 26th at the City Hall Situation Room to ensure the smooth launch of Hwaseong Special City scheduled for January 1 next year.

The report meeting was attended by Vice Mayor Son Im-seong, the director of communication and administration, heads and team leaders of 20 relevant departments, who reviewed the status of transfer preparations for 17 special municipal affairs accompanying the special city launch and discussed countermeasures in preparation for the enactment of special legislation supporting the special city.

At this meeting, key matters for the transfer of special municipal affairs, including the establishment and revision of ordinances related to administrative, financial, and welfare special affairs, budget compilation, and organizational structure, were discussed in depth.

In particular, in addition to the 13 special municipal affairs reviewed at the first report meeting held in February, welfare and financial special affairs were additionally discussed, and each department's progress reports and reviews were conducted on all 17 special municipal affairs.

The city plans to complete preparations to ensure seamless transfer of special municipal affairs to establish authority and status as a special city, and intends to make full efforts in discovering special authorities to provide practical benefits that citizens can experience even after the special city launch.

Meanwhile, the 17 special municipal affairs include △authorization of building construction (50 stories or below, less than 200,000 ㎡) △issuance of regional development bonds △designation of residential development districts △request for designation and lifting of decisions on greenbelt areas △submission of farmland conversion authorization applications △establishment of staffing by grade and institution of rank 5 and below △development and operation of logistics centers △authorization of forest land conversion △matters concerning environmental improvement charges △composition and operation of local construction technology review committees △registration of non-profit private organizations △designation evaluation of tourism special zones △coordination of new technology startup agglomeration area designation △matters regarding restrictions on overseas travel for local tax delinquents and other administrative special affairs, △upward revision of review standards for financial investment projects △additional issuance of 10% of the basic limit on local bond issuance and other financial special affairs, and △application of standards for metropolitan areas (special cities, metropolitan cities + special cities) when calculating basic property deduction standards in determining social security benefit income recognized amounts and other welfare special affairs.

Vice Mayor Son Im-seong emphasized, "This report meeting is a very important occasion to review each department's preparations for the transfer of special municipal affairs ahead of the 2025 special city launch," and added, "I hope all departments will thoroughly prepare to ensure the successful launch of Hwaseong Special City and establish measures to provide practical benefits to citizens."