President Lee Jae-myung visited Busan for the first time since taking office on the 25th and strongly articulated a regional balanced development strategy that includes his presidential campaign promise of the "transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan." President Lee noted, "Balanced development is a national survival strategy," emphasizing that he would promote the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, as well as related corporations, as quickly as possible within feasible limits.
On the same day, President Lee visited Busan and held a town hall meeting with local citizens to discuss plans for the development of Busan. This event marked the third town hall meeting following Gwangju on the 25th of last month and Daejeon on the 4th of this month, where the Busan schedule had been postponed due to damage from heavy rain. Around 200 pre-selected citizens attended the event.
In his opening remarks, President Lee emphasized, "It seems that the centralized one-polar system strategy and the unbalanced growth strategy of Korea have now reached their limits," stating, "Now, regional balanced development is not just an issue of 'Let's help because it's difficult'; it is an unavoidable national survival strategy for Korea's continuous growth and development."
He continued by noting that while previous governments have pursued balanced development, the actual results that the public can feel have been insufficient, and he stated that the new government plans to change its approach.
President Lee asserted, "This government should adopt a strategy that gives incentives to local areas, rather than merely balancing resource allocation or policy decisions at the national level," adding, "I intend to establish this as a principle in the basic financial allocation of the country going forward."
He also emphasized the need to regionalize areas such as the 'Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam mega-city' so that they can become centers of economic and social development.
Regarding the development strategy for Busan, he stated, "The Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region should maximize its characteristics as a port logistics city to devise a development strategy," adding, "The possibility of utilizing the Arctic route due to climate change is becoming very high, and particularly, Busan is likely to benefit greatly from it."
He said, "Some people say the Arctic route is a topic for 10 or 20 years from now, questioning why we are talking about it now, but if social changes are not prepared in advance, we will miss opportunities," stating, "It's not quick; it's already late. We need to discuss what solutions can enable us to develop as a logistics hub and a center city in Northeast Asia as soon as possible."
President Lee emphasized, "The will of the government is very important," adding, "When politicians make statements, they often forget everything after the election and it has become a habit to make empty remarks, so they don't believe anything I say. But I am different. If I say I will do it, I will do it."
He then shifted the topic to the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan.
President Lee stated, "The transfer of related national agencies, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, is already being implemented swiftly within feasible limits," asking, "I wonder if they could possibly move by the end of the year?"
In response, Minister Jeon Jae-soo of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries quickly replied, "They can come," which was met with applause from the audience. President Lee asked with a smile, "Speed is important in administration, isn't it?" to which Minister Jeon replied again, "That's right."
President Lee continued, "I will ensure that the relevant agencies, related corporations, public corporations, and organizations operate as quickly as possible in terms of their transfer." He added, "Not only administrative measures but also issues like maritime court and the establishment of a southeastern regional investment bank will be expedited to save as much time as possible."
President Lee requested that support measures be prepared to alleviate the inconveniences faced by civil servants due to the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
During the town hall meeting, the chairman of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries union stated, "When the president asked if the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries would be able to move to Busan within the year, it made my heart sink," conveying concerns such as housing issues due to the sudden transfer of the ministry.
In response, President Lee remarked, "From the perspective of civil servants at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, it must feel like a bolt from the blue," but he added, "In any case, if a decision has been made, it is important to implement it swiftly."
He further stated, "We will fully establish necessary measures objectively and reasonably to avoid any grievances regarding the double inconvenience faced by civil servants at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries moving to Busan," requesting the mayor of Busan, Park Hyung-joon, who was seated next to him, to discuss specific support measures.