Skip Navigation
  1. home
  2. Daegu City Hall & News
  3. Media News

Media News

Subject
Framework for “Innovation Daegu 100+1” completed for Rise of Daegu
Division name
Date of registration
2025-01-06
Writer
( T. 120)
Inquiry
80
Content

Two most important projects (Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration, New Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport) and others (Daegu-Gyeongbuk High Speed Railway, five future industries) progressing smoothly

 

external_image

 

Daegu Metropolitan City (DMC) gave a presentation at 2 p.m. on December 26 (Thu) at its Sangyeok headquarters of its accomplishments of 2024 alongside a year-end press conference.

 

Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said that 2024 was “the year that the foundations for Daegu Innovation 100+1, which will set Daegu back on its feet in all areas and regain its status as one of Korea’s top three cities, were completed.”

 

DMC has strived since the start of the Hong administration to achieve innovation in 100 areas of municipal affairs and integration with Gyeongsangbuk-do (“100+1”). As of December 31, the midpoint of the Hong administration, 63 innovations have been completed, with major projects (e.g. New Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport, Daegu-Gwangju High-Speed Railway) progressing smoothly.

 

□ Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration and New Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport as the most important projects

The integration seeks to dismantle the eight-province system of the past century to achieve balanced development via reform of provincial administrative practices. The integration of Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do is expected to not only bring about advancement of industry and the economy (e.g. regulation-free zone (as specified in Special Act on the Integration of Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do), drastic ceding of authority, and special financial provisions) but also residents’ quality of life.

 

According to a public poll consigned to Korea Research, almost 70% of Daegu residents consent to the integration. The integration bill was passed in the Daegu Metropolitan Council virtually unanimously.

 

There is some concern at the moment due to Korea’s political instability. The bill will, however, be proposed to the National Assembly and otherwise be handled as planned as soon as the dust clears.

 

Once Daegu-Gyeongbuk Special City is launched, it is expected to serve with Seoul as Korea’s main two cities, helping to achieve not only balanced development but bring Korea into a second Golden Age.

 

A revised bill on the New Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport (focusing on issuing local government bonds in excess of limit and early compensation for land, etc.) has been approved by the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee and is waiting to be voted on at a regular meeting of the National Assembly. Once the bill is passed, progress is expected to be made quickly and efficiently.

 

DMC changed the project from the illogical property conceding method (as outlined in Article 55 of the State Property Act), which incurred KRW 14.8 trillion in interest fees alone, to state-led development. It is currently working on follow-up procedures, including proposing the revision to the National Assembly.

 

DMC unveiled a development plan in early December for new cities (e.g. Gunwi Sky City) in areas near New Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport. The former site of Daegu Military Air Base is being prepared for development as a Dubai-style Regulation-Free Zone.

 

□ Innovation of metropolitan transportation and reorganization of future industries

The Daegu-Gwangju High Speed Railway, which will link Korea’s southeastern and southwestern areas, was proposed by a record-breaking 261 National Assembly members. A special act for it was enacted in February, with relevant processes (e.g. exemption of preliminary feasibility assessment) underway.

 

The railway, which will keep the trip from Daegu to Gwangju under 120 minutes, will expand inter-regional exchanges in the short run. The ultimate goal is to create a large economic sphere in the southernmost regions that is on par with that of Seoul/Gyeonggi-do.

 

It will be the first non-Seoul/Gyeonggi-do metropolitan railway network that connects Gumi to Daegu and Gyeongsan for a combined timeframe of under 60 minutes. There are also multiple concrete measures focusing on expanding the livelihood sphere of Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do residents (e.g. transfer discount system that includes nine cities/counties of Gyeongsangbuk-do, opening of extension for Daegu Metro Line 1 (Ansim-Hayang)).

 

DMC is in the process of reinventing its industrial structure, which had been languishing for 30 years since the collapse of the textile industry, to five new areas: ABB (AI, blockchain, big data), semiconductor, robotics, UAM and healthcare.

 

Accordingly, efforts are being made to create an environment that is conducive to corporate investment, including designation as a Special Opportunity Development Zone (e.g. corporate tax reductions, special regulatory provisions) and AI Robotics Global Innovation Zone and hosting FIX (Future Innovation tech eXpo) 2024.

 

This has resulted in a large number of cutting-edge Korean and foreign companies flocking to Daegu. Within 2.5 years of the Hong administration, 46 companies—twice the number over the past decade—have promised a total of KRW 9.317 trillion in investments.

 

□ Securing clean drinking water and creating citizen-friendly waterfront areas

An amendment for the special act on the Clean Water Highway Project, which aims to address the drinking water issue on a fundamental level, was proposed in September (including exemption of preliminary feasibility survey and plans for balanced regional development) to the National Assembly.

 

Daegu, which is in a basin, will be transformed into a global waterfront capital through the Geumhogang Renaissance Project and development of Sincheon Stream.

 

The Geumhogang Renaissance Project covers a 39-kilometer area and three smaller renovation projects (e.g. The ARC, Dongchon Recreation Area) that will make the Geumhogang River something to be experienced instead of only seen. Sincheon Stream is being turned into a space for healing and fun through the addition of a year-round swimming pool, skating rink, and forest.

 

□ Breathing new life into the city by developing idle lots

To breathe new life into downtown areas, Dongseong-ro will be the first urban place in Korea where students from Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do can take courses without being limited by the boundaries of a physical university campus.

 

It will also be turned into a center of tourism and culture through the Dongseong-ro Renaissance Project (e.g. designation as Special Tourism Zone, creation of Youth Street, expanded busking opportunities).

 

The former site of Gyeongsangbuk-do Office will be turned into a Special Urban Convergence Zone and Daegu Prison into a Youth Hope Town to create multi-purpose areas that create jobs and accommodate industry, residential units and culture.

 

The integration/relocation of Daegu Military Air Base is in the final stages of a feasibility review by the Ministry of National Defense. DMC will be making a final review (of profitability, etc.), based on which it will designate a site in 2025 for a “military town” that accommodates both public and private players.

 

□ Cultural facilities and efforts for expanded welfare

DMC successfully hosted a Daegu Marathon that offered the largest monetary prize of marathons worldwide and opened Kansong Art Museum Daegu, which houses the Haerye Edition of Hunminjeongeum and Sin Yun-bok’s Portrait of a Beauty. Plans are being made for Daegu Grand Park, a nature-friendly zoo in Samdeok-dong, Suseong-gu that will be the size of 228 soccer fields.

 

Efforts were also made to provide more tangible benefits for citizens, including AI-based health checkups for seniors and providing a larger monthly allowance for veterans.

 

□ Administrative/financial innovation that resonates with the public

DMC achieved many feats of administrative and financial innovation, including making Daegu Korea’s only city to not issue local government bonds for three consecutive years, first metropolitan city to eliminate the residency requirement during hiring of first-time public servants and public corporations, and the first in Korea to launch a division exclusively dedicated to university policy.

 

Mayor Hong said, “Korea is experiencing tremendous chaos due to the emergency martial law incident and impeachment procedures. This will not stop us, however, from using 2025 to prepare for Korea’s next century as a time of prosperity by, as the saying goes, rowing our boat through the ocean by taking advantage of strong breezes.”


DMC will be publishing Rise of Daegu 2024, a booklet summarizing its accomplishments over the past year. It will be distributed to local district offices, culture centers, and libraries in January 2025 so that anyone can learn more about DMC’s 2024 innovations.



List of attached files