More Than 12 Innovative Cities to Be Built

More than 12 “innovative cities,” to where public institutions in the metropolitan area will be relocated, are expected to be built nationwide.

The government has changed its plan which originally allowed one innovative city in each of 11 cities and provinces nationwide except for the metropolitan area, Daejeon, and Chungnam Province.

The Ministry of Construction & Transportation unveiled its “Guideline for Locating Innovative Cities” on July 27.

According to the guideline, every city and province will create a location review committee by the middle of next month and evaluate candidate properties. Also, they will consult with the government before the final location is decided in late September.

The government in principle will build one innovative city in each city and province except for the metropolitan area, Daejeon, and Chungnam Province. Metropolitan cities such as Busan, Ulsan, and Daegu, which are likely to have difficulty in securing large property, are allowed to build more than two innovative zones measuring 100,000 to 500,000 pyeong or 305,800 to 1,529,000 square meters.

This is reflected in Busan city’s plan to relocate four institutions governing maritime affairs and fisheries to Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu and four financial public institutions to the financial complex in Munhyeon-dong, Nam-gu, among 12 public agencies to be relocated.

The government also plans to allow Gwangju city and Jeonam Province to jointly develop an innovative city.

Special institutions such as power plants which should not be near residential areas and particular agencies which need to be located near seashore or mountains are allowed to be located in appropriate areas.

The title of innovative cities will go to the candidates in each city and province which win the highest score in eight categories: each access to transportation facility (20 points), acceptability as the hub for regional development (20 points), availability of existing infrastructure (10 points), development potential (15 points), environmental protection (10 points), balanced development within the particular region (10 points), possibility of returning development profits to society (10 points), and autonomous government’s support plan (five points).

Jae-Seong Hwang jsonhng@donga.com