Hwaseong Special City Launches Advisory Committee for Development

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] On the 20th, Hwaseong Special City held the 'Hwaseong Special City Development Advisory Committee Appointment Ceremony' and 'Special Authority Discovery Workshop' at the city hall conference room to secure substantial authority for Hwaseong Special City.

At the appointment ceremony attended by approximately 70 people including Mayor Jung Myung-geun, advisory committee members, and research staff, appointment letters were presented to 30 advisory committee members, and information on the committee's role and future activities was introduced.

Over the next two years, the committee will lead the discovery of special city authorities and policy proposals through four divisions: Planning and Administration, Economy and Environment, Culture and Welfare, and Urban Development.

In the subsequent workshop, Professor So Soon-chang of Konkuk University presented on 'The Necessity of Enacting Special Legislation Supporting Special Cities and Securing Special Authorities,' and Dr. Sa Jae-myung presented on 'Cases of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's Special Authority Discovery,' emphasizing the necessity of deriving tasks for securing special city authorities.

Additionally, seven subcommittees composed of advisory committee members and related department officials conducted group discussions and discovered a total of 21 practical special authorities for strengthening local autonomy, responding to large-city administrative needs, and expanding citizen-felt administrative services.

The city plans to review practical strategies for securing the special authorities discovered today through the 'Research Project on Hwaseong Special City's Special Authority Discovery and Establishment of Securing Strategies,' currently being conducted by the Korean Local Government Association.

Mayor Jung Myung-geun said, "Today's appointment ceremony and workshop are the starting point for the substantial autonomy that Hwaseong Special City is pursuing," adding, "Based on the authorities we have discovered, we will focus on establishing Hwaseong's status as a special city and improving citizens' quality of life."