![Democratic Party acting floor leader Cheon Jun-ho, party committee chair Kim Tae-nyeon and presidential senior secretary for political affairs Hong Ik-pyo pose for a photo at a ruling party-government-presidential office policy meeting on key balanced-growth issues at the National Assembly on the 22nd. [Photo=Yonhap]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/04/22/20260422164746541012.jpg)
The Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office said they will form a task force led by the Prime Minister’s Office to pursue balanced regional development and move into full implementation once personnel appointments are completed.
Rep. Kim Young-bae, a member of the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Balanced Growth, told reporters after a ruling party-government-presidential office policy meeting on the 22nd that the session broadly reviewed the Lee Jae-myung government’s strategy for balanced growth.
“First, the Prime Minister’s Office’s task force for a major national land and spatial transformation has been formed, and the personnel process is nearly at the final stage,” Kim said.
Kim said participants agreed that once vetting and appointments are finished, the prime minister-chaired task force and a pan-government consultative body will serve as the main pillars, with the Local Era Committee and the party’s special committee working together in a ruling party-government-presidential office framework to carry out balanced-growth policy tasks.
Kim also outlined a timetable for follow-up talks. He said the three sides plan to hold another consultative meeting by the end of June, with the special committee and the presidential office meeting together, and then use those discussions to shape legislative and budget strategies to be addressed by the end of August.
Kim said the meeting focused in particular on a special law for “mega special zones.” He described it as legislation that would consolidate various sandbox-based pilot projects and support their designation and operation at a broader regional level, including tax, fiscal and financial support systems, with provisions aimed at backing corporate activity and industrial ecosystems.
He said the goal is to pursue legislation within the regular session of the National Assembly, with relevant ministries and standing committees moving quickly on deliberations.
Kim added that participants also discussed other local-related campaign pledges as key bills, including legislation to establish an investment corporation for the southeastern region, a special law to create an Arctic shipping route committee, and a bill to establish a public medical school.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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