City and agencies seek to boost competitiveness by improving living conditions
Wonju holds regular meeting of city-public institution consultative body
Head of Korea National Park Service elected as next co-chair
With the government's announcement of a second round of public institution relocations on the horizon, agencies already established in Wonju's innovation city have come together as seasoned residents to support incoming institutions and foster mutual growth.
Amid fierce competition among innovation cities to attract new public institutions, it is unusual for already-settled agencies to band together to help newcomers adapt and to strengthen the city's overall appeal.
The second regular meeting of the 2026 Wonju City-Relocated Public Institutions Consultative Body was held Tuesday at Wonju City Hall, bringing together the city and agencies that relocated to the Gangwon Innovation City.
The meeting was convened to reinforce cooperation between the city and the relocated institutions, identify shared priorities for regional development, and prepare proactively for the government's second round of public institution relocations to sharpen the Gangwon Innovation City's competitive edge.
Participants exchanged views on preemptive strategies to boost the city's appeal — particularly improving living conditions in the Gangwon Innovation City in line with the growing likelihood of a second relocation round.
"The second round of public institution relocations is a crucial opportunity for the Gangwon Innovation City to take a new leap forward, and Wonju City and the relocated institutions must pull together as one," Wonju Mayor Gu Ja-yeol said. "We will continue to work closely with the institutions to build an innovation city that grows alongside the community, and we will be thoroughly prepared for the second relocation round."
The consultative body reviewed the progress of 22 existing proposals and shared four newly submitted project proposals, while closely examining the status of major joint initiatives under way between the city and the institutions and checking on cooperation items for each agency.
In addition, participants held in-depth discussions on a range of initiatives for community-institution collaboration, including ways for agencies to take part in Wonju's signature festivals.
At the meeting, the head of the Korea National Park Service was elected as the next co-chair of the consultative body, as the current co-chair — the president of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service — completes the term on Dec. 31. The incoming co-chair will serve a two-year term.
abc@heraldcorp.com
