Suwon Mayor Shin Dong-hwa Proposes to Gyeonggi Province to Normalize Relocation of Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH) to Guri

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] On the 22nd, at the '9th Elected Officials Meeting between the Provincial Governor and Mayors/County Commissioners' held at Gwanggyo Hall of the Gyeonggi Economic and Science Promotion Agency, Guri City officially requested Gyeonggi Province to expedite the resumption of administrative procedures for the relocation of Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH) to Guri, which had been suspended during the previous administration.

At the meeting, Mayor Shin Dong-hwa stated, "The joy of election victory is brief; amid empty city coffers and deteriorating neighborhood commerce, I acutely feel the limitations of the northern Gyeonggi region with a fiscal self-reliance rate of only 25 percent," and emphasized, "Now, 'balanced development within the Seoul metropolitan area' must become South Korea's new hope, transcending national balanced development."

The GH relocation to Guri had been progressing smoothly, with relocation confirmed in May 2021 and a tripartite agreement signed between Gyeonggi Province, Guri City, and GH in June of the same year, followed by nine rounds of working-level consultations. However, following the emergence of controversy over a 'Seoul merger proposal' during the previous administration, Gyeonggi Province declared a suspension in February 2025, leaving the project in a prolonged stalled state.

Addressing Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Mayor Shin stated, "The first campaign promise, 'GH relocation to Guri,' is our most solemn commitment to citizens, so I will make it a top priority within my term and certainly demonstrate concrete results within one year," expressing strong responsibility and determination.

He further requested, "Now that the obstacle of Seoul merger has disappeared, Gyeonggi Province should normalize the suspended procedures with momentum under the shared goal of balanced development."

Meanwhile, the meeting was attended by Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae and heads of all 31 cities and counties in the province, where they shared the policy direction for the 9th elected administration and adopted a joint declaration for mutual cooperation (including regularization of Policy Cooperation Committee operations and town hall meetings), opening a full-fledged era of collaborative governance.