[국정과제점검회의]President Yoon “Considering Transferring Authority of Local Universities to Mayor and Provincial Governor”

On the 15th, President Yoon Seok-yeol ordered the strengthening of secondary education in the provinces, stating: “Education is the most important factor in regional development and balanced regional development” as regards the political direction for regional development balanced. He also expressed his willingness to push for a plan to hand over authority over local universities to mayors and provincial governors. A “crazy system” was also proposed, in which metropolitan city and provincial governors and superintendents were elected jointly.

President Yoon said that day at the first national activity inspection meeting, “I think that secondary education in the provinces brings business transfers and investment, and which in turn creates a circulation structure that develops local universities.”

President Yoon said, “An opportunity for secondary education to be freely chosen by various educational institutions and educational seekers must be ensured.” He continued, “As soon as Minister Lee Joo-ho takes office this time, he will hand over the authority of the Ministry of Education for local universities to the mayor and provincial governor.” In the meeting’s closing remarks, “Rather than electing the governor and superintendent of education separately, if the mayor/provincial governor and superintendent ran as running mates and local residents made their choice, wouldn’t it be much more helpful to the regional era and balanced regional development?” he said.

Busan Mayor Park Hyeong-joon said, “Transferring authority drastically and quickly is the most important thing for local governments to achieve specialized development.” President Yoon said, “US governors are actively traveling around the world to attract investment, but I’ve been thinking about why our country’s mayors and provincial governors can’t do that.”

Woo Dong-ki, chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee, said, “We will complete the transfer of the Korea Development Bank to Busan as soon as possible and press for the second transfer of public institutions to start in the second half of next year at the first.” President Yoon said, “The central government will provide various financial and fiscal support so that the infrastructure projects that are most beneficial to the local economy can be started first.”