SEOUL-- President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Friday to empower regional governments and help regions find their own growth engines.

Yoon made the remark while presiding over a meeting on cooperation between central and local governments at the North Jeolla provincial government office in Jeonju, 194 kilometers south of Seoul.

"In order to open a true era of regions, the government will boldly transfer the central government's powers and help regions find and nurture growth engines in which they have a comparative advantage on their own," he said.

"Era of regions" is a key administrative task adopted by the Yoon government to promote balanced regional growth.

"When it comes to public livelihood issues, there is no separation between the central and regional governments," Yoon said, noting the key to an era of regions lies in education and industry.

The meeting was attended by mayors and governors from across the country, as well as chiefs of local government and council associations.

Source: Yonhap News Agency