Dreaming of a great transition of Korea itself by starting ‘the era of provinces’
Governor Lee Chul-woo analyzes that the social problems that Korea is facing are caused by the concentration of the metropolitan area. He points out that this is because half of the population lives in the metropolitan area, which accounts for only 10% of the national land area, and as the unipolar system in the metropolitan area has continued for over 50 years, everything such as businesses, jobs, education, medical care, and culture is concentrated in the metropolitan area. Governor Lee expressed his determination as follows ‘Gyeongsangbuk-do is taking the lead in opening up the era of provinces and setting an example for creating a new Korea. - How do you feel about being inaugurated as the first president of the 8th Civil Election Association of City and Province Governors of Korea?
First of all, thank you to our residents who always support us. And I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once again to the mayors and governors who nominated me as the president. Since the first president took office in 1999, the Council of Provincial and Provincial Governors has contributed to the strengthening of decentralization, development of local autonomy, and balanced development among regions, and has also functioned well as a channel through which the common voices of cities and provinces are conveyed to the government.
This year, the City and Governor Council also turned 24 years old. I will work hard so that the 24-yearold the City and Governor Council can be reborn as a competent worker who will change the game in Korea. - What is the reality of local autonomy that you personally felt as a 3-term member of the National Assembly and re-elected as a provincial governor?
It is because of the reality that elections are held without any serious meaning until the end of 30 years of local autonomy, remaining in ‘local autonomy’ superficially.
The reality of local autonomy is bleak. Looking back on the past four years as a provincial governor, it is not an exaggeration to say that all I did was visiting the heads of the bureau departments of the central ministries. When I meet central government officials, they often complain, “I can’t even move a single pine tree in front of my house. What kind of local government is this?” So, what I have been saying all along is that ‘we must change Korea itself and ‘we must open a revolutionary era of province.
- What does ‘revolutionary local era mean?
As the Yoon Seok-Yeol administration came into office, it declared a era of province and declared a ‘provincial era that is good for living anywhere in Korea’ as a national goal. However, the reality is that there is a small population in the provinces, and because the population is small, they are excluded from SOC projects, and due to lack of accessibility, they are excluded from jobs such as industrial complexes, and the ‘vicious cycle of rural deterioration’ continues. Changes cannot be expected with the preliminary feasibility study that measures the current B/C economic feasibility, and all infrastructure is inevitably concentrated in the metropolitan area.
In order to heal the disease in the metropolitan area and break the vicious cycle of rural deterioration, there must be a fundamental change in the overall local autonomy, such as legislation, finance, education, and organization, like a revolution, so that all citizens in the metropolitan area and local areas can be happy.
- The Central Local Cooperation Council Act, which was initiated while being a member of the National Assembly, was implemented in January this year, and the first meeting was also held.. Do you have any opinions about the Central Regional Cooperation Council?
In the Central Local Cooperation Council, the president runs the meeting, and the Prime Minister and I, the chairman of the provincial and provincial councils, become co-chairs. It is a place to discuss and deliberate on local issues. The composition of the presidency of other councils is being delayed, but a meeting will be held when the composition is finalized.
The Central Regional Cooperation Council is an important place to directly deliver the local voices to the president and central government agencies, but there is a limit in that it cannot guarantee implementation. It is necessary to upgrade it to the level of the second State Council, which can decide on systems or policies that impose administrative and financial restrictions on the provinces in the future.
- When you were inaugurated as the head of the Provincial Association, you said, ‘I will open an era of people’s happiness and strive to make Korea respected by the world.’ What does that mean?
South Korea ranks 12th in the world’s GDP ranking as an advanced economy, but the World Happiness Index is only 59th out of 146 countries surveyed. The economic development centered on the metropolitan area involved local sacrifices and instilled a sense of relative deprivation in the provinces. On the other hand, the sense of deprivation in the metropolitan area is indescribable due to excessive competition and crowding, and social disparities between the rich and the poor. Only when these gaps are narrowed can we usher in an era of national happiness.
The world is amazed at the Republic of Korea’s ability to achieve unprecedented economic growth and handle disaster situations wisely, and pays homage to Korea’s growth from an economic powerhouse to a cultural powerhouse. In the future, we should become a happy Korea where the people are happy and move toward a respectful Korea beyond envy. The beginning is to create a ‘locall era that is good for living anywhere in Korea’ with complete decentralization, and the national income of $50,000 and the era of national happiness will naturally follow.
- You have emphasized decentralization several times. What are the reasons and challenges for decentralization?
To solve local problems locally, local powers must be expanded. It should be a local government in name and reality. We need to make laws suitable for the region, tax to secure finances, and invest in education to revive local universities.
Like other developed countries, the state must specify in the
constitution the ‘principle of subsidiarity’, which states that local governments can only perform tasks such as foreign affairs and defense that local governments cannot. The current Constitution has become obsolete. The current Constitution, which has only two provisions on local autonomy, must be changed to a constitution that fully guarantees local autonomy through the ‘decentralization constitution’. - What are the ideas of Gyeongbuk-do for the transition to the local era in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration?
At the same time as the re-election, the ‘Local Era Preparation Committee’ was launched instead of the transition committee. Composed of 5 subcommittees and 1 TF, it was led by the region to find a development strategy with unique strengths for good jobs in innovative growth. In order for Gyeongbuk, which led the Korean economy in the 1970s and 1980s, to stand up again, its industrial structure must be innovated to fit the 4th industrial era. We plan to focus on promoting the five mega-techs (battery, bio, semiconductor, robot, and metaverse) that have strengths in our region. Taking advantage of the strengths of Korea’s largest nuclear power plant cluster, we intend to create a national clean energy industry belt by utilizing small module reactors (SMRs) and hydrogen fusion clusters. We are planning to create a digital K-culture renaissance centered around the Nakdonggang River and the three major cultural areas, and to transform Gyeongsangbuk-do’s agricultural and fishing villages with 4th industrial technologies such as smart farms. Local era need to be led by the provinces, not the central ones, to bring about changeWe will secure food for future generations so that all citizens of Gyeongsangbuk-do can enjoy a happy life.