Meets with Presidential Committee for Age of Local Autonomy Chairperson Park Jung-hyun to propose hosting second-stage relocating public institutions in Chungnam Innovation City

Governor Park Su-hyun of Chungcheongnam-do has requested the central government's active interest and support in resolving key regional issues, including the establishment of the Chungnam Innovation City through the secondary relocation of public institutions.

On October 22, Governor Park visited the Presidential Committee for Age of Local Autonomy, where he met with Chairperson Park Jung-hyun to discuss major agenda items aimed at achieving balanced regional development and securing future growth engines.

Key proposals include: △ Activating the Chungnam Innovation City via the second-stage relocation of public institutions; △ Attracting the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises to Chungnam; △ Selecting Cheonan as the candidate site for the National Dental Science Research Institute; △ Additionally designating a tertiary general hospital in the northern region of Chungnam; △ Enacting the Chungcheong Metropolitan Alliance Special Act and improving related systems; △ Supporting the successful hosting of the 2027 Chungcheong Summer World University Games (Universiade); △ Establishing measures to offset local allocation tax reductions resulting from the new Future Response Fund; and △ Promoting the transfer of special local administrative agency functions to the Chungcheong Metropolitan Alliance.

Regarding the second-stage relocation of public institutions, Governor Park presented it as a core task for the substantive development of Chungnam Innovation City and balanced regional growth.

"Although Chungnam Innovation City was designated in October 2020, there are still no relocated public institutions to date," Governor Park stated. "To create tangible outcomes from the designation and lay the foundation for regional growth, the customized relocation of public institutions linked to local industries must be expedited."

As for the institutions to be relocated, Governor Park proposed moving 50 public institutions centered around four functional groups, taking into account Chungnam's industrial conditions and regional characteristics: △ Climate, Energy, and Environment; △ Economy and Industry; △ National Defense; and △ Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The objective is to enhance the synergy between institutional functions and local industries so that the relocation goes beyond a mere geographic shift, translating into substantive regional development such as industrial ecosystem creation, quality job creation, and fostering local talent.

Regarding the representative "Climate, Energy, and Environment" functional group proposed by Chungnam, the plan includes 10 climate and environmental institutions—such as the Korea Environment Corporation and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute—along with 5 energy transition institutions, including the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning and the Korea Petroleum Management Service. This accounts for 30% of the targeted 50 institutions.

In the economy and industry sector, the strategy aims to establish Chungnam as an industrial innovation hub by concentrating policy financing, industrial technology, and export support functions through policy financing bodies like the Industrial Bank of Korea and the Export-Import Bank of Korea, alongside industrial promotion institutions such as the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and the Small and Medium Business Research Institute.

In the national defense sector, the blueprint involves strategically deploying related institutions, such as the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), in Nonsan and Gyeryong—where core military infrastructure is concentrated—to foster Chungnam as a core base for national defense research and industries.

In the culture, sports, and tourism sector, the province plans to leap forward as a national hub by attracting organizations like the Korean Broadcasting System, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, thereby building a high-value cultural ecosystem linked to Chungnam's rich historical and cultural resources.

Furthermore, highlighting the disadvantaged conditions Chungnam has faced regarding public institution relocation following the launch of Sejong City and the designation of innovation cities, Governor Park emphasized the necessity of a compensatory priority relocation.

"To respond to the economic contraction and industrial transition caused by the closure of coal-fired power plants, public institutions in the climate, energy, and environment sectors should be relocated on a priority basis," Governor Park explained. "Government policy consideration is needed so that public institution relocation can support the transition of existing industries and secure new growth engines."

Attracting the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises to Chungnam was also presented as a major proposal.

Governor Park outlined four key arguments for hosting the headquarters: △ Optimal conditions for executing the role of the integrated power generation public enterprise headquarters; △ Optimal conditions for supplying energy to high-power-consuming advanced industries; △ Being the center of power generation; and △ National balanced development.

He also stressed that the west coast of Chungnam serves as an optimal base for "implementing national power policies," leading the grand transition toward renewable energy based on a just energy transition.

"In accordance with Article 3, Paragraph 4 of the 'Special Act on Support for Workers and Closure Regions of Coal-Fired Power Plants,' transitioning closure regions to zero-carbon power generation is stipulated as a national obligation," Governor Park proposed. "If the integrated headquarters is established in Chungnam—where 22 coal-fired power plants are scheduled to be closed by 2038—these just transition policies can be effectively implemented on the ground."

In addition, Governor Park highlighted that Chungnam, being adjacent to power demand centers in the Chungcheong and metropolitan areas, can efficiently supply energy to power-intensive industries like the three mega-projects by utilizing existing infrastructure.

Moreover, as a key initiative to expand regional medical and research infrastructure, he proposed selecting Cheonan as the candidate site for the National Dental Science Research Institute. Leveraging Cheonan's location competitiveness, including transportation accessibility and dental education/medical infrastructure, he requested government-level interest and support for establishing the institute in Cheonan.

He also requested the additional designation of a tertiary general hospital in the northern region of Chungnam. Considering medical demand and critical care conditions in northern Chungnam, he urged the government to actively review expanding tertiary hospital designations to bridge regional medical gaps and provide prompt, specialized medical services to critically ill and emergency patients.

In connection with this, the provincial government plans to continuously consult with related ministries and the Committee for the Age of Local Autonomy to drive the reflection of major proposals into government policies.

Additionally, centered around the Chungcheong Metropolitan Alliance, the province intends to strengthen cooperation among the four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region, realizing balanced national growth and co-prosperity through the resolution of regional issues and the pursuit of supra-regional joint projects.

"Activating the Chungnam Innovation City through the second-stage relocation of public institutions and attracting the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises are crucial tasks for laying Chungnam's future growth foundation and realizing balanced national growth," Governor Park emphasized. "The relocation of public institutions utilizing regional industrial foundations and characteristics must be accompanied by support for the energy industry transition."

"As the first head of the Chungcheong Metropolitan Alliance in the 9th popular election, since the Chungcheong region is closely connected across administrative, industrial, and transportation sectors, it is vital to transcend individual regional issues, devise joint development strategies, and respond together," Governor Park added. "I ask for the government's active interest and support so that joint Chungcheong regional agendas, such as the enactment of the Chungcheong Metropolitan Alliance Special Act and the successful hosting of the 2027 Chungcheong Universiade, can lead to substantive outcomes."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]