Choo Mi-ae Holds First Meeting with Provincial Governor and Mayors/County Heads of 9th Elective Term, Adopts Joint Declaration

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gab-dong] Governor Choo Mi-ae and 31 mayors and county heads of the 9th elective term have agreed to operate a 'Policy Cooperation Committee' as a mutual cooperation and consultation body, and to regularize town hall meetings that enable direct communication between the governor and provincial residents.

Governor Choo held a 'meeting of the 9th elective term provincial governor and mayors/county heads' at the Gwanggyo Hall of the Gyeonggi Provincial Economic Science Research Institute on the 22nd and adopted a joint declaration containing these provisions. This is the first time since the inauguration of the 9th elective term that the governor and mayors/county heads have gathered together.

Mayors and county heads from 28 cities and counties attended the meeting, while Seongnam, Gwangmyeong, and Yeoju were represented by deputies.

Governor Choo said, "Today is the first stage where we overcome boundaries and deliberate with one heart for Gyeonggi Province and 14.2 million provincial residents," and added, "Although financial issues are serious, with regard to citizens' safety and transportation issues, I plan to communicate closely with cities and counties and tackle them step by step. The recent expansion of the Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus route is part of this effort."

She continued, "I will communicate sufficiently in advance with cities and counties to implement what is possible quickly, and for what is not possible, I will work together to understand what the obstacles are and establish plans for legislation or budget expansion to resolve the issues, and accelerate progress."

Governor Choo further stated, "Administrative trust comes from fairness. Among the 31 cities and counties, the 8 semiconductor-focused cities and counties will develop into local governments with global competitiveness, and for neighboring cities and counties that may experience relative disparities or relative deprivation, I want to emphasize the province's responsible management by ensuring that the province shares its results fairly."

Specifically regarding Northern Gyeonggi, she said, "No matter how much national funding is provided, if the relevant city or county cannot secure its own basic funds, national funding support is meaningless. I would like to discuss with cities and counties how to secure resources for investment in basic living infrastructure. It should not be the case that provincial residents bear the burden of discrimination simply because cities and counties face poor financial conditions."

Governor Choo emphasized, "Today's meeting is the beginning of the 9th elective term. With this approach, I hope we will be able to continue addressing specific policies one by one with all of you, and I encourage all of us to work together to create such occasions well."

Prior to the meeting, Choi Dae-ho, Mayor of Anyang, who was elected chair of the Gyeonggi Provincial Mayors and County Heads Association for the first half of the 9th elective term, responded, "If you sow the seeds of change based on the 9th elective term provincial administration's core policies of fairness, innovation, and inclusion, I am confident that the 31 mayors and county heads will create valuable results in the lives of provincial residents tailored to the characteristics of each region. When provincial, municipal, and county administrations mesh like gears and operate smoothly, we can turn any crisis into an opportunity. The joint declaration that we will make today will serve as a powerful milestone for the Gyeonggi Province-style win-win model that will lead the Republic of Korea for the four years of the 9th elective term, going beyond a mere promise."

In accordance with the joint declaration adopted at the meeting, the province and cities/counties will establish cooperative partnerships to create a Gyeonggi Province where citizens are masters, and will operate a 'Policy Cooperation Committee' as a mutual cooperation and consultation body for substantive collaboration. The committee will be convened regularly by the governor and mayors/county heads to address regional issues.

Additionally, 'town hall meetings' will be held periodically to directly meet with provincial residents, listen to their views, and communicate. The 'town hall meetings' will be conducted in a manner where the governor directly communicates with residents by inviting them to share diverse perspectives. Specific schedules and details of the agreed matters will be determined through further working-level discussions.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, mayors and county heads conveyed various suggestions requesting active cooperation and support from Gyeonggi Province for their respective cities' and counties' major projects and regional issues. The province explained its 9th elective term provincial administration direction based on 'fairness, innovation, and inclusion' as core values.