The governors of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang held their first meeting since the launch of the ninth popularly elected term and agreed to draw up a roadmap for a mega-regional implementation system through a standing consultative body.
Jeon Jae-soo, the Busan mayor, Kim Sang-wook, the Ulsan mayor, and Park Wan-su, the South Gyeongsang governor, held the "4th Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Policy Council" on the afternoon of the 8th at Westin Josun Busan in Haeundae District, Busan.
Earlier, the governors met at the regular general meeting of the Governors' Council in Aug. and agreed to hold the council.
The council that day proceeded behind closed doors after greetings from the governors. After the closed-door meeting, the governors adopted the "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam mega-regional cooperation joint declaration."
The governors decided to operate a standing consultative body to establish a mega-regional implementation system and to prepare a roadmap for a mega-regional implementation system that specifies cooperative tasks by sector, including industry, transportation, daily life, and administration.
In addition, they decided to formulate a six-year mega-regional development strategy for Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam to discover new industries, along with plans to foster regional growth engines such as advanced shipbuilding and shipping, future mobility, aerospace and defense, and next-generation nuclear power and energy.
They will also push for attracting the government's second round of public institutions, securing national funding for cooperative projects, and devolving central authority.
Jeon Jae-soo, the Busan mayor, said, "This policy council is a great first step for Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam in the ninth popularly elected term to be reborn as another growth axis of the Republic of Korea comparable to the Seoul metropolitan area." Park Wan-su, the South Gyeongsang governor, said, "Going forward, efforts for the union and joint development of Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam are inevitable."
Kim Sang-wook, the Ulsan mayor, noted, "As Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam was the place that led mega-regional cooperation, I hope this will be the starting point for the closest cooperation in the country."