"If the Gwangju semiconductor project goes through, where will the corporate local taxes go?"
The question is fueling a local debate as Gwangju's five autonomous districts explore upgrading to city status following the integration of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju. To assess the implications, the five districts plan to jointly commission a study on the effects of such a conversion.
The District Mayors' Council of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City held its regular meeting Tuesday morning and took up the proposal to upgrade the five autonomous districts to city status as a shared agenda item.
The proposal argues that the conversion is necessary to close the fiscal gap between the 22 cities and counties and the five autonomous districts, and to ensure residents enjoy equivalent levels of administrative and welfare services.
The district mayors agreed to jointly commission a study — together with the integrated city — to accurately analyze the administrative and fiscal effects of a potential conversion to city status.
The districts have long argued that their authority over urban planning, finances and organization is more limited than that of the 22 cities and counties in South Jeolla Province before the integration, and have pressed for the upgrade.
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Bu-nam, who represents Seo-gu in the South Jeolla-Gwangju area and sits on the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, introduced a bill earlier this month to partially amend the special act governing the establishment of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City.
Kim Yi-gang, chair of the District Mayors' Council, said the study results would take more than six months to produce. "We plan to move quickly on commissioning the study and will soon convey the unified position of the autonomous districts to the integrated city," he said.
sij@heraldcorp.com
