Event to explore trends in OECD regional policy discussions

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. (The Herald Business DB)
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. (The Herald Business DB)

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday that it will hold the first OECD Regional Development Policy Seminar.

The seminar is designed to share global trends in regional development policy discussed within the OECD and connect them effectively with South Korea's domestic regional policies. It will examine key discussions and policy implications from the OECD's Regional Development Policy Committee, while also exploring ways to bring outstanding domestic policy cases onto the international agenda.

The Regional Development Policy Committee is a consultative body that discusses ways to enhance the regional competitiveness of OECD member states, covering areas such as regional recovery policy, regional innovation, carbon neutrality, demographic change and responses to digital transformation.

The seminar will bring together officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements and other government ministries and state-run research institutes, along with OECD regional policy experts. Presentations will cover the current state and plans of South Korea's national land policy, the outcomes and policy implications of regional policy cooperation with the OECD, and recent global trends in regional policy.

A general discussion session will follow, addressing the direction of policy cooperation with the OECD and policy recommendations for domestic regional policy. Participants will also explore ways to share South Korea's regional policy experience with the international community and link it to future OECD discussions on regional development policy.

Lee Ju-yeol, director general for policy planning at the ministry, welcomed the seminar as a chance to closely examine OECD discussion trends. He noted that balanced regional development has become a central topic for South Korean society. "Building on this seminar, we plan to continue sharing major OECD regional development policy discussions domestically and strengthen cooperation to link international policy trends with our own regional policies," he said.

Meanwhile, the government has set next year's budget for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at a record 69 trillion won ($51.5 billion). The budget sharply expands funding for balanced regional development and revitalizing local areas as part of efforts to drive a nationwide transformation and growth led by local regions.


hss@heraldcorp.com