Gyeonggi Province Assembly Speaker Kim Kyeong-ho Rejects Withdrawal of Capital Region Deregulation Policy
"The withdrawal of capital region deregulation policy constitutes reverse discrimination against underdeveloped areas in Gyeonggi Province."
Gyeonggi Province Assembly Speaker Kim Kyeong-ho attended the 8th interim session of the National Provincial Assembly Speakers' Council held at 2 p.m. on the 18th at Pyeongchang Alpencia Resort in Gangwon Province, and clearly expressed opposition to Chungcheongbuk Province's request to adopt a "proposal urging the withdrawal of capital region deregulation policy."
The speakers' council that day focused on the comprehensive suspension of capital region deregulation policies, including the immediate abolition of the "Enforcement Decree Amendment to the Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act," which primarily aims to permit university relocation in the capital region's nature conservation zone.
At the meeting, Assembly Speaker Kim Kyeong-ho argued: "For the past several decades, northern Gyeonggi regions such as Yeoncheon, Dongducheon, and Uijeongbu, which are sacrificing for national security, as well as Gapyeong, Yangpyeong, and Yeoju, which are subject to double and triple regulations through nature conservation zones, special countermeasure areas for Paldang, and Green Belt restrictions, face far worse economic conditions than non-capital regions," and refused to adopt the agenda.
The meeting, originally scheduled for one hour, saw sharp conflict between non-capital region assembly speakers seeking to adopt the agenda and Assembly Speaker Kim Kyeong-ho's firm position that he would not hesitate to withdraw from the council.
After heated debate, the agenda was revised and passed with a proviso clause stating that "there were objections from capital region assembly speakers" in the proposal.
This outcome is being evaluated as reflecting the firm determination of Gyeonggi Province Assembly Speaker Kim Kyeong-ho, who has worked to develop underdeveloped areas in Gyeonggi Province that are suffering from double and triple regulations due to national security and revitalization laws.