The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it held the "2nd regional development plan briefing session and regional development best-practice contest" in Daejeon on the afternoon of the 17th.
The regional development plan is a mid- to long-term, 10-year plan established by each province and metropolitan city. Plans drawn up from 2016 to 2018 are being implemented in sequence and are scheduled for completion between 2026 and 2028.
The first plan was established by seven provinces excluding Gyeonggi Province, and the second plan is to be formulated by eight metropolitan cities and provinces, including Daegu, which includes Gunwi County, a growth-promotion area. Through the first regional development plan, more than about 600 regional development projects are being pursued, and about 2.1 trillion won in state funds has been provided over the 10-year planning period.
With the period for formulating the second plan beginning in stages from 2026, this is a point when a new plan is needed. The briefing was prepared to guide local governments on what to consider when reestablishing regional development plans and on the improved elements. A best-practice contest for regional development projects was also held to share project outcomes and encourage mutual benchmarking.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport supplemented the guidelines so that local governments can establish regional development plans, including measures to foster industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, tourism and culture. First, it abolished the previous division of regional development plans into development-promotion type for underdeveloped areas and hub-fostering type for areas other than underdeveloped areas, and improved the process to establish an integrated regional development plan to strengthen interregional linkages.
Next, while keeping the formulation cycle of regional development plans at 10 years as before, it revised the rules to review the feasibility of regional development plans every five years to respond to new project demand and changes in the policy environment. It also mandated the establishment of plans to improve settlement conditions for medical care, care services, education, sports and culture so that a minimum standard of living conditions is ensured in any region.
The second regional development plan will be reestablished in stages starting with North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang, where the first planning period ends in 2026. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to actively work to secure state funds (Special Account for Balanced National Development) so that the newly established regional development plans can proceed smoothly.
In addition, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport laid out a policy direction to foster economic hubs so that small and midsize cities can become another axis of balanced growth. As a concrete means of execution, it plans to speed up projects in leading investment districts to foster strategic industries in small and midsize city regions and to energize private investment. While it has taken more than two to three years from target selection to district designation, it plans to shorten that period to one to two years by providing expert consulting.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport selected one top case and three excellent cases as best practices in regional development projects for 2025. The top case was the Korean Traditional Fermentation Culture Industry leading investment district in Sunchang County, North Jeolla. This project is the only case in Korea that converges industry and tourism using traditional fermented foods as its theme. By creating fermentation experience and professional training facilities for workers, expanding fermentation culture experience tourism, and introducing leisure facilities, it is expected to increase tourists' length of stay and invigorate local commercial districts.
As an excellent case, the Jangryeongsan forest cave experience park development project in Okcheon County, North Chungcheong, was selected. This project utilizes an idle infrastructure within the forest recreation area, an abandoned iron mine cave, to create an experience- and relaxation-type cave experience park. Okcheon County conducted multiple precision safety inspections and installed ventilation facilities, and it is expected to contribute to revitalizing the local economy by attracting tourists, going beyond simple space regeneration.
Another excellent case was the road widening project for the access road to Bugs Adventure Park in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang. The project created a bypass road and expanded parking space to reduce traffic congestion and accident risks caused by the narrow access road to the Yecheon Insect Ecology Center, and visitors have increased by linking the experience-type monorail with the insect expo and festival.
Selected as the final excellent case, the Hadong Dream Station development project in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang, uses the old Hadong Station building, a symbol of the rail network consolidation between Gyeongsang and Jeolla, to establish a shared childcare center, a job startup support center and shared offices. It is meaningful in that it overcomes urban hollowing out by connecting the old downtown and the new downtown.
The four local governments selected this time will receive the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award. Benefits such as exemption from document screening and additional points will be provided in the 2026 call for the customized regional demand support project.