President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 8 attends a policy briefing by the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development at his office in Seoul. (Office of the President)

By Park Hye Ri

President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 8 said, "Decentralization, balanced development and reinforcement of local autonomy are inevitable national strategies for the sustainable growth of the Republic of Korea."

He said this in his opening speech at a policy briefing of the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development at the Office of the President in Seoul.

"A historical fact is that Korea's growth strategies have been based on a unipolar system centered on the Seoul capital region that has produced considerable outcomes, but recently, excessive concentration of power in the capital area has created a situation undermining growth potential," he said.

President Lee said "now is the time to secure new growth momentum by creating a multipolar system" focused on five regional hubs and three special self-governing provinces.

His strategy was his pledge during his presidential campaign earlier this year related to balanced national development. Its gist is to promote tailored growth for each region by dividing the nation into five metropolitan zones -- Seoul and vicinity, central, Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, southwestern and southeastern -- with the three other areas being Jeju Island and the provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Gangwon-do.

The president expressed his strong intent to prioritize policy toward local governments, saying, "We will strongly put more weight on regions farther from the Seoul metropolitan area not only in fiscal allocation but also in national policymaking."

At the committee meeting, the body's chair Kim Kyoung-soo said, "The five regional hubs and three special self-governing provinces for balanced development are not just a policy to revive regions but also a strategy to transform national territory in the era of artificial intelligence to secure a new growth engine for the Republic of Korea."

He also pledged a system to find leading strategic industries in each of the eight designated zones, launch innovative and high-tech industrial complexes at provincial universities for support, and incentivize companies to relocate to areas outside of the capital and increase investment.

hrhr@korea.kr