Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon Mayor: "The 5 Extremes and 3 Specials are no different from telling us to get married without a place to live"

Yoo Jeong-bok, the Mayor of Incheon, strongly criticised the '5 Extremes and 3 Specials' national balanced development policy promoted by the Lee Jae-myung government, stating, "It is no different from telling us to get married without a place to live." He expressed agreement with the policy's intention of balanced development but argued that if it is pushed forward hastily without sufficient preparation ahead of the elections, it could lead to serious confusion in local administration.

During a press conference on current issues held at Incheon City Hall on the 28th, Mayor Yoo stated, "I do not deny the necessity of regional balanced development," but added, "However, the 5 Extremes and 3 Specials plan had almost no prior preparation or social discussion process."

The 5 Extremes and 3 Specials proposed by the government aims to overcome the single-pole system of the metropolitan area by reorganising the country into five super-regions: the metropolitan area, southeastern region, Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, central region, and Honam region, along with three special autonomous regions: Jeju, Jeonbuk, and Gangwon. It was announced that local governments participating in the integration would receive incentives such as up to 5 trillion won annually and a maximum of 20 trillion won over four years in financial support, as well as priority relocation of public institutions.

In this regard, Mayor Yoo remarked, "Looking at the cases of integration in Gwangju-Jeonnam or Daejeon-Chungnam, even basic matters such as organisation, personnel, office distribution, and location of government buildings have not been sorted out," and stated, "To create a special city under these circumstances is irresponsible." He further criticised, "National policies should not be pursued like children's games."

He particularly emphasised, "The idea of creating a special city first and then deciding where to live later is akin to having a wedding without deciding where to live," adding, "It only undermines the intention of balanced development."

Mayor Yoo also expressed concerns regarding the government's movement to relocate public institutions. He said, "It has been reported that the government is set to hold a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to discuss the local relocation of 16 key public institutions located in the metropolitan area, and I was shocked to learn that the Overseas Koreans Agency in Incheon was included in this discussion."

The Overseas Koreans Agency was established in June 2023 in Incheon at the request of Mayor Yoo and the Incheon civic community. Mayor Yoo argued, "To mention relocating an institution that was difficult to establish with the support of over 100 Korean organisations worldwide and more than 1 million signatures from Incheon citizens in less than three years is an act of deceiving the citizens."

In response, Mayor Yoo proposed the formation of an 'Emergency Response Council for Incheon' to prevent the relocation of public institutions based in Incheon. He stated, "Citizens, Incheon City, and political parties must work together to protect Incheon's interests," and added, "Now is the time for a joint response, regardless of political factions."