Unlocking Potential: What the New Special City Law Means for Hwaseong and Its Citizens

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Jeong Myung-geun, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Hwaseong special-status city, welcomed the National Assembly’s passage on May 7 of the Special Act on Support for Special Cities. He said the law establishes an institutional support framework for five special-status cities — Hwaseong, Suwon, Yongin, Goyang and Changwon — and will enable faster, more efficient administrative services for residents.

Since assuming the chairmanship of the Korea Special-Mayors Council in July last year, Jeong has repeatedly pressed the need for the law with both the executive and legislative branches, meeting with President Lee Jae-myung, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-joong and National Assembly Public Administration Committee Chair Shin Jeong-hoon.

In a May 8 press release, Jeong said that when he took office as chair of the Special-Mayors Council last year he pledged to secure passage of the special act, and that commitment has now come to fruition. He noted that he led Hwaseong through its transition to a special-status city and the push to establish four new district offices. He pledged to complete the legal and institutional framework needed for the city’s next phase of development and said he will continue to pursue the administrative and fiscal authorities appropriate to a special-status city.

He added that with greater authority comes greater responsibility, and he will use that authority to improve residents’ lives. He vowed to make Hwaseong the nation’s leading city.

Under the new law, Hwaseong will assume authority from the provincial government (Gyeonggi Province) in areas including citizen welfare, business support, urban development and permitting, allowing the city to pursue policies tailored to local needs.

The law also establishes a legal basis for special administrative and financial support to special-status cities, requires the formulation of a basic support plan and annual implementation plans, and includes special provisions for the cities’ administrative duties. It also incorporates 19 new special responsibilities to meet large-city administrative demands, such as metropolitan transportation policy and industrial park development.

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