🚨 5 Poles 3 Special: Regional Balanced Development and Seoul Area Decentralization Strategy

Today Korean Social News | 2025.07.11

📌 Chairman Kim Kyung-soo Emphasizes Win-Win Growth Between Seoul Area and Local Regions Through "5 Poles 3 Special"

💬 Chairman Kim Kyung-soo of the Regional Era Committee emphasized the need for a balanced growth strategy that allows the Seoul metropolitan area and local regions to grow together through the "5 Poles 3 Special" strategy at his inauguration ceremony held in Sejong City on the 10th. He promised to address Sejong City's concerns regarding the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' relocation to Busan and to prepare a specific roadmap for completing the administrative capital. The 5 Poles 3 Special is a core regional policy of the current government, aimed at reducing concentration in the Seoul area and enabling each region nationwide to develop as distinctive growth centers.

Summary

• 5 Poles 3 Special is a regional balanced development strategy centered on 5 hub cities and 3 special autonomous provinces/cities.
• The goal is to reduce Seoul area concentration and create growth centers that utilize each region's unique characteristics.
• It seeks to overcome the crisis of regional extinction and pursue win-win development where the entire nation grows together.

1️⃣ Definition

5 Poles 3 Special means a national strategy to reduce concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and achieve regional balanced development centered on 5 hub cities (poles) and 3 special autonomous provinces/cities (special). Simply put, it's a policy that divides the entire country into 8 key growth centers and promotes development that utilizes each area's unique characteristics.

The 5 poles refer to Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gangwon, while the 3 special refer to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, and Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province.

💡 Why is this important?

• It achieves balanced national development by dispersing population and resource concentration to the Seoul area.
• It enables customized development strategies that utilize each region's unique characteristics and advantages.
• It overcomes the crisis of regional extinction and revitalizes local economies.
• It promotes improved national competitiveness and sustainable development.

2️⃣ Composition and Roles of 5 Poles 3 Special

📕 Composition and Characteristics of the 5 Poles

• Each of the 5 poles serves a specialized role. The main composition is as follows:

  • Busan Pole: Serves as the southeastern region's central city and a hub for maritime, logistics, and high-tech industries. It aims for K-defense exports, hosting Busan Expo 2030, and building a global maritime and logistics hub.
  • Gwangju Pole: Serves as the Honam region's central city and a center for AI, big data, future vehicles, and new energy industries. It promotes Gwangju-type jobs and AI industrial complex development.
  • Daegu Pole: An inland central city in the Yeongnam region, serving as a hub for textile, fashion, medical, bio, and future vehicle industries. It develops K-beauty, medical tourism, and carbon-neutral industries.
  • Daejeon Pole: The central city of the Chungcheong region, serving as the mecca of science, technology, and R&D. It leads high-tech industries including biohealth, aerospace, and nuclear power.
  • Gangwon Pole: The center of tourism, leisure, recreation, and healing industries utilizing the PyeongChang Winter Olympics legacy. It builds a peace economy hub linked with the DMZ Peace Economic Zone.

• Each pole operates as a wide-area economic zone concept. Main characteristics include:

  • Composed not of single cities but wide-area zones including surrounding connected regions.
  • Improves accessibility within zones through transportation network expansion and infrastructure development.
  • Secures differentiated competitiveness by developing specialized industries for each zone.
  • Strengthens administrative connections and cooperation through mega-city concepts.

📕 Composition and Characteristics of the 3 Special

• The 3 special are autonomous bodies with special status and authority. Main composition includes:

  • Jeju Special Self-Governing Province: An international free city model through deregulation and expanded autonomy. It develops clean energy, tourism, recreation, high-tech agriculture, and marine bio industries.
  • Sejong Special Self-Governing City: Serves as the administrative capital with government function relocation and smart city model role. It develops around public innovation, education, and IT/software industries.
  • Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province: A new special autonomous province launched in 2024, pursuing innovative growth through agri-bio, carbon neutrality, and Saemangeum development.

• The 3 special have differentiated autonomous rights and benefits. Main characteristics include:

  • Possess expanded autonomous authority compared to general metropolitan governments.
  • Receive special financial support and deregulation benefits from the national government.
  • Serve as special zones that can introduce experimental and innovative policies first.
  • Can build unique development models suited to their individual characteristics.

Major Challenges of the 5 Poles 3 Special Strategy

1. Inter-regional competition and conflict: Concerns about intensified competition between regions over limited resources
2. Substantial authority transfer: Whether central government authority and resources are actually transferred
3. Connection and cooperation: Building effective connection and cooperation systems among the 8 hubs
4. Performance measurement: Need for indicators to objectively measure and evaluate balanced development effects
5. Sustainability: Institutional foundation that can be consistently promoted regardless of political changes

3️⃣ Background and Expected Effects

✅ Seoul Area Concentration and Regional Extinction Crisis

• Seoul area concentration has reached a serious level. Main current situation includes:

  • As of 2024, the Seoul metropolitan area population exceeded 50.2% of the total population, surpassing half for the first time.
  • In economic activity terms, the Seoul area accounts for 52% of national GDP and 74% of major corporate headquarters.
  • Over 40% of university students enter Seoul area universities, accelerating the concentration of high-skilled workers in the capital region.
  • Over 80% of major public institutions and financial institutions are concentrated in the Seoul area.

• Local regions face population decline and extinction crisis. Major problems include:

  • 113 out of 228 cities and counties nationwide are classified as population extinction risk areas.
  • As of 2023, the total fertility rate in non-Seoul areas fell below 1.0, accelerating population decline.
  • Continuous outflow of young people to the Seoul area has intensified aging in local regions.
  • Living infrastructure has deteriorated due to declining local commercial districts and reduced public services.
  • Admission shortfalls and closure crises at local universities are spreading.

✅ Expected Effects of the 5 Poles 3 Special Strategy

• Regional balanced development and efficient land use are expected. Main effects include:

  • Can reduce overcrowding costs (traffic congestion, environmental pollution, high real estate prices, etc.) caused by Seoul area concentration.
  • Regional economies will be revitalized and jobs created through development of specialized industries in each region.
  • Population outflow can be prevented and reverse flow induced by improving living conditions in local areas.
  • National competitiveness will improve through balanced development across the country.

• Innovation growth and creation of new development models are possible. Major changes include:

  • Innovation ecosystems will be built through formation of specialized industry clusters in each hub.
  • Synergy effects can be created through cooperation and connection between regions.
  • Experimental policy introduction is possible using special zones and free economic zones.
  • Globally competitive regional hubs will drive national growth.
  • Sustainable development models utilizing each region's unique culture and resources can be built.

4️⃣ Related Terms

🔎 Regional Balanced Development

• Regional balanced development is a policy goal to enable all regions to develop evenly.
• Regional balanced development refers to the basic direction of national policy to reduce development gaps between the Seoul area and non-Seoul areas, cities and rural areas, industrial and underdeveloped regions, enabling balanced development nationwide. Rather than making all regions exactly the same, it promotes competitive development utilizing each region's characteristics and potential.
• Main goals of regional balanced development include: First, reducing income gaps and living standard differences between regions. Second, promoting specialized development utilizing each region's unique resources and characteristics. Third, building basic infrastructure like transportation, communication, education, and healthcare evenly nationwide. Fourth, strengthening regional innovation capabilities to establish foundations for independent growth.
• Regional balanced development is a policy that simultaneously pursues national efficiency and equity, and the 5 Poles 3 Special strategy is one specific implementation plan for such balanced development. Successful balanced development requires consistent policy promotion by the central government, active participation by local governments, and cooperation from regional residents.

🔎 Mega City

• A mega city is a concept where multiple cities unite to form one giant urban area.
• A mega city refers to a central city and surrounding cities connected by transportation networks to form one giant urban area. While administrative districts remain separate, they function as one living area economically, socially, and culturally - a wide-area urban zone concept. In Korea, mega city concepts for Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, Gwangju-Jeonnam, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk are being promoted.
• Main characteristics of mega cities include: First, they are wide-area alliances with multiple local governments participating. Second, they form daily living zones connected by transportation and communication networks. Third, each city maintains its characteristics while performing mutually complementary functions. Fourth, they increase competitiveness and efficiency through economies of scale.
• Mega cities are attracting attention as new development models that can contribute to strengthening regional competitiveness and balanced development. In the 5 Poles 3 Special strategy, each pole developing into mega city form to have the scale and competitiveness to compete with the Seoul area is one important goal.

🔎 Regional Extinction

• Regional extinction means a state where regional communities cannot be maintained due to population decline.
• Regional extinction refers to a phenomenon where local regions' populations rapidly decrease due to low birth rates, aging, and youth outflow to cities, making it difficult to maintain regional society. It goes beyond simple population reduction to a state where all regional functions including economic activity, education, healthcare, and culture shrink and become unsustainable.
• Main indicators of regional extinction include: First, the extinction risk index, which divides the population aged 65 and over by women aged 20-39, with 1.5 or higher indicating extinction risk stage. Second, population decline rates and birth rates are also important indicators. Third, decreases in economically active population and regional gross domestic product (GRDP) are also signals of extinction.
• Solving regional extinction problems requires comprehensive measures including job creation, improving living conditions, and expanding education, healthcare, and cultural infrastructure. The 5 Poles 3 Special strategy is also one national response plan to overcome this regional extinction crisis, aiming to create specialized growth engines for each region to promote population inflow and regional revitalization.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can the 5 Poles 3 Special strategy actually reduce Seoul area concentration?

A: The effectiveness of the 5 Poles 3 Special strategy in reducing Seoul area concentration depends on policy sustainability and implementation power. While various balanced development policies in the past achieved limited results, this strategy has several differentiating elements. First, it pursues specialized development utilizing each region's unique characteristics and strengths. Second, it expands regional scale and competitiveness by introducing mega city concepts. Third, it significantly improves accessibility through transportation network expansion and digital infrastructure construction. Fourth, it provides strong incentives for public institution relocation and corporate attraction. Success requires consistent policy promotion by the central government, sufficient financial investment, and active cooperation from local governments. Also, rather than immediate effects, a long-term perspective of 10-20 years is needed, and building an institutional foundation that can continue regardless of political changes is most important.

Q: What specific benefits will local residents receive?

A: If the 5 Poles 3 Special strategy is successfully promoted, regional residents can enjoy various benefits. First, job opportunities will greatly expand. Quality jobs will be created through specialized industry development and corporate attraction in each region, making it possible to find good employment without going to the Seoul area. Second, education, healthcare, and cultural infrastructure will improve. Quality of life will improve through strengthened regional university competitiveness, expanded medical staff and facilities, and new cultural and sports facilities. Third, transportation accessibility will greatly improve. Distances to the Seoul area will be shortened through KTX extensions, highway expansion, and airport construction/expansion. Fourth, real estate price stabilization effects can be expected. While demand increases due to regional development, reasonable levels compared to the Seoul area can still be maintained. Fifth, business conditions will improve and startup opportunities will increase through various deregulation and special treatment applications. However, considerable time is needed for these benefits to be realized, so it's important to have patience and actively participate in regional development.