Jinju, Sacheon launch 'Economic Partnership City' initiative

The cities of Jinju and Sacheon have formally launched their "Economic Partnership City" initiative, aimed at fostering mutual development and building a shared living and economic zone in western South Gyeongsang Province.

Jinju Mayor Jo Gyu-il and Sacheon Mayor Park Dong-sik held a meeting at Jinju City Hall on Tuesday to discuss major shared challenges and cooperation strategies in transportation, the environment and industry. The meeting was arranged as a return visit by Park following Jo's trip to Sacheon on April 1 for a mutual exchange under the hometown love donation program.

The two mayors agreed to jointly pursue two priority projects: the construction of a bypass road along National Route 33 between Jinju and Sacheon, and the installation of a regional municipal waste incineration facility serving both cities.

The bypass road project calls for a new approximately 6-kilometer road connecting Hwagye-ri in Jinju's Jeongchon-myeon to Guam-ri in Sacheon's Sacheon-eup. The total project cost is estimated at about 267.9 billion won ($175 million), to be funded entirely by the central government. The two cities view the road as a key arterial link connecting the aerospace national industrial complex and general industrial complexes, and agreed to push together for its inclusion in national infrastructure plans, saying it would strengthen production and logistics corridors.

The project was selected last January as a subject for a preliminary feasibility study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, with a final result expected in August alongside selection for the sixth national road and local road construction plan. If selected, the government would proceed with design work, land compensation and other follow-up steps.

The two cities also agreed to cooperate on building a regional municipal waste incineration facility, as amendments to the Waste Management Act will ban the direct landfilling of municipal waste from 2030. The site has not yet been determined. The cities said working-level cooperation would help reduce the fiscal burden and improve operational efficiency.

The meeting did not address the question of administrative merger between the two municipalities, which had been raised in the past. The "Economic Partnership City" model was proposed on May 28 by Sacheon Mayor Park, National Assembly lawmaker Seo Cheon-ho and the Ministry of Environment, and focuses on practical economic and lifestyle cooperation rather than administrative integration.

Jinju and Sacheon plan to establish a working-level consultative body composed of director-general-level officials from each city to continue detailed discussions. The specific structure and operational roadmap will be determined through further talks.

"Jinju and Sacheon are different administrative units, but they are core neighboring cities in western South Gyeongsang Province that share the same living and economic sphere," Jo said. "We will work together to expand practical cooperation in transportation, the environment and industry so that the Jinju-Sacheon Economic Partnership City becomes a new model for the shared development of western South Gyeongsang."

Park said Wednesday's meeting was "an occasion to exchange views and explore ways to cooperate on shared challenges that both cities must address together," adding that the two cities would "work hand in hand to ensure that joint projects such as the National Route 33 bypass road and the regional municipal waste incineration facility are carried out without a hitch, for the benefit of residents and regional development."