Forum brings together new town contractors, LH, GH and local businesses to strengthen public-private cooperation
Namyangju held a cooperative forum Wednesday at Yeuyudang Hall in city hall to expand local business participation in new town development projects and strengthen public-private cooperation.
The forum was organized as part of a key initiative under the ninth elected administration to transform Namyangju from a primarily residential city into a self-sufficient city with economic and lifestyle infrastructure. The city said the goal is to boost the local economy by increasing local business involvement in large-budget new town construction.
About 80 people attended, including Mayor Choi Hyeon-deok, Deputy Mayor Kim Sang-su, executives and site managers from major contractors including Hyundai E&C, officials from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH), and representatives from the East Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce and local businesses and organizations.
Participants shared updates on the direction of new town development and heard about challenges facing developers and contractors in the field. They also focused discussions on practical ways to expand local business participation.
The city explained to contractors the technical capabilities and willingness of local businesses to participate, and asked for active cooperation — including relaxing subcontractor registration criteria — to lower barriers to entry.
"The benefits of large-scale development projects such as the Wangseok new town must return to the local community and its residents," Mayor Choi said. "We will create a virtuous cycle by putting local construction companies, workers, materials and equipment to work on site, laying the foundation for Namyangju to grow into a self-sufficient city."
He added that as major contractors support cooperation with local businesses, Namyangju will serve as a reliable partner by providing administrative support — including permits and approvals — to ensure projects proceed safely and successfully.
The city is currently advancing 38 construction packages across new town projects in the Wangseok, Wangseok 2, Jinjeop 2 and Yangjeong transit-oriented area districts. Nineteen large construction companies are participating, including Hyundai E&C, Geumgwang Enterprise, Ssangyong E&C, Daewoo Engineering, Daegwang Construction, Gyeryong Construction, Dongbu Construction and Seohan.
The city has consistently worked to build a foundation for expanding local business participation in new town construction. It signed a local business cooperation MOU in June 2025, and in July held discussions with local specialty contractors through "Let's Meet the Mayor," a citizen-participation communication channel, to work out concrete ways for them to get involved. The city said it is concentrating its administrative resources on building a practical framework for mutual growth.
The city also plans to open the Wangseok Partners Center to provide systematic support for local business participation in projects. The center will serve as a dedicated communication hub to facilitate information exchange among developers, contractors and local businesses.
In addition, the city said it is reviewing additional MOUs with contractors to further expand local business participation and strengthen the public-private cooperation framework.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
