Chungcheongbuk-do

A milestone of 30 years of local autonomy, presenting a new model for decentralization The Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, Korea’s first special local government jointly established by four municipalities of the Chungcheong region and chaired by Governor Kim Young-hwan, celebrated its 100th-day anniversary on Apr. 9, 2025. Under the vision of “realizing a decentralized local era and building a representative megacity that leads region-centric balanced development in Korea,” the union is pursuing large-scale interregional initiatives in transportation infrastructure, industrial economy, and socio-cultural fields. To build interregional governance for collaboration, a policy forum on sharing innovative policies was held in February with participation from the four municipalities and the union. Based on this, a working-level council will be launched to discuss major regional issues of the Chungcheong region. ※ Joint Working Council: Comprising 4 directors of planning and coordination from 4 Chungcheong municipalities and the Secretary-General of the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union The union is also developing and operating regional tourism products such as ‘Metro Tour Pass’ and ‘Metro City Tour,’ integrating various attractions of the Chungcheong region. Additionally, the union is also working on amending ordinances across the four municipalities to offer reciprocal fee discounts for eight major paid facilities. [Daejeon): Jangtaesan Forest Recreation Area, Maninsan Forest Recreation Area; [Sejong] Sejong Hapgang Campground; Jeonwolsan Leisure Campground; [Chungbuk] Joryeongsan Forest Recreation Area; Cheongnamdae; and [Chungnam] Anmyeondo Forest Recreation Area, Anmyeondo Arboretum The union plans to enhance global competitiveness and expand its international network through exchanges with global metropolitan unions and various international cooperation projects. The four municipalities also plan to actively collaborate on building an integrated transportation network across the region and on establishing a dedicated civilian runway at Cheongju International Airport, the central and key hub airport of the Chungcheong region. To ensure the successful settlement and sustainability of the union, proposals for financial support and institutional reforms are being actively pursued with the National Assembly and central government ministries. The union aims to expand its roles and functions through strengthened cooperation with the central government, legal and institutional improvements, and securing new budgets for interregional projects. Chairman Kim Young-hwan stated, “The launch of the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, a special local government realized after long discussions to commemorate the 30th anniversary of local autonomy, holds great significance.” He added, “We will prioritize identifying and implementing projects in areas with low conflict and high synergy among local governments, so that the 5.6 million residents of Chungcheong can feel real change. We will also ensure open dialogue and strive to continuously grow as a new model of decentralization for Korea.