Seoul: The head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination emphasized the critical need for regional development, stating that South Korea may have no future without achieving balanced national development.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Minister Lim Ki-keun underscored this point during a forum focused on balanced national development. He stressed that the issue has become more urgent than ever and that the government is sincerely striving to address it. Despite efforts by previous administrations to implement balanced development policies, Lim pointed out that these initiatives often resulted in rhetoric without tangible outcomes, as the Seoul metropolitan area continues to attract the majority of investment, resources, and population.

"Balanced development used to be regarded as something that would be nice to have and missing out on it brought only mild disappointments. But now, I believe that there is no future for the Republic of Korea unless we seek region-led growth," Lim stated. He affirmed that the government is committed to enacting real change, advocating for a more comprehensive approach than in the past.

The initiative, described as a "grand national land transformation," aims to establish growth engines in eight regions, termed "five poles and three specials." The five poles include the capital area, the southeastern region, North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu, the central region, and the southwestern region. Meanwhile, the three specials refer to the special autonomous provinces of Jeju Island, North Jeolla Province, and Gangwon Province.