Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun: "Focus on Securing Legal Status and Financial Privileges for the 9th Elected Term"

Mayors from the five special cities across the nation gathered in Suwon to reorganize the council for the 9th elected term and discuss shared tasks.

By placing joint research projects and additional legislative proposals on the agenda and electing a new chairman, the mayors aim to restructure the cooperative framework for the new four-year term.

According to Suwon City on the 13th, the Special Cities Mayors Council of the Republic of Korea held its first regular meeting of 2026 at the Suwon Convention Center on that day.

The meeting was attended by Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Suwon Special City; Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin Special City; Jeong Myeong-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City; Kang Ki-yun, Mayor of Changwon Special City; and Park Won-seok, First Vice Mayor of Goyang Special City.

The meeting proceeded with reports on special city implementation status and deliberation and discussion of agenda items. Attendees discussed "implementation of joint research projects related to special city support policies" and "additional legislative proposals regarding special cities." Additional legislative proposals will be pursued with the National Assembly and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The council elected Kang Ki-yun, Mayor of Changwon Special City, as the new chairman.

Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, "Over the past four years, the five special cities have made efforts to secure special city authority, and we achieved the outcome of promulgating the 'Special Act on Support for Special Cities' in June." He added, "In the 9th elected term, let us focus more on securing legal status and financial privileges."

He continued, "We have worked to establish special cities as a new axis for regional balanced development by creating a rural-urban coexistence model," and emphasized, "We must continue efforts for regional balanced development."