- At border region peace and safety meeting, calls for government support, including designation of a Peace Economy Special Zone -
The Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that Mayor Park attended the Ministry of Unification’s Interagency Meeting on Peace and Safety in Border Areas at the Government Complex Seoul on July 27, where he called for greater central government support for maintaining peace in border regions, improving residents' living conditions, and revitalizing local economies.
The meeting, chaired by Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, brought together senior officials from central government agencies, including the Vice Minister of National Defense and the Head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as well as the heads of metropolitan governments in Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Provinces and mayors and county governors from border regions. Participants discussed measures to maintain peace and revitalize the economies of border regions.
Mayor Park stated, “As home to Ongjin-gun, located at the northwestern tip of the West Sea, and Ganghwa-gun at the mouth of the Hangang River, Incheon stands on the front line of national security and is where peace begins. For the government’s policy of peaceful coexistence to succeed, local governments closest to the communities must play an active role.”
He added, “Through the Incheon Peace Initiative, we will create real peace that residents can experience in their everyday lives.”
Incheon has recently taken steps to improve transportation and living conditions in border communities by opening the West Sea Inter-Korean Peace Road connecting Yeongjongdo Island and Sindo Island, while also easing regulations on nighttime fishing in the West Sea and nighttime ferry operations serving the northwestern islands.
Mayor Park emphasized that border regions should no longer remain places defined by restrictions and sacrifice but instead become hubs of peace, prosperity, and growth. As a key strategy to achieve this transformation, he proposed designating border regions as a Peace Economy Special Zone.
As an international city with a major seaport, international airport, and Free Economic Zone, Incheon possesses both the characteristics of a boarder region and a strong global economic foundation. Through designation as a Peace Economy Special Zone, the city can simultaneously revitalize the regional economy and lay the groundwork for inter-Korean cooperation.
Mayor Park also recounted his recent visit to Seogeomdo Island in Ganghwa-gun, where he met with locals. “What residents want are basic improvements to living conditions, such as clean drinking water and adequate medical services,” he said.
Accordingly, the city called on the central government to support the following measures: improvements to essential living conditions, for residents of border islands, including drinking water and healthcare services; ferry fare subsidies for residents of other cities and provinces to encourage broader public awareness of peace and reunification; eased Seoul Metropolitan Area regulations for Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun and exemptions from preliminary feasibility studies for large-scale investment projects in border regions; and support for local civilian events related to inter-Korean peace.
Mayor Park concluded, “Residents of border communities have made extraordinary sacrifices for national security over many years. They deserve special support and compensation from the national government that reflects those sacrifices. Incheon will take the lead in ensuring that the government’s peaceful coexistence policy creates meaningful opportunities for the people living in these regions.”
