Special Leadership Lecture by the Governor of Gyunggi Province Kim Moon-soo The Governor of Gyunggi Province Kim Moon-soo commented on the issue of regional development in his special leadership lecture on November 25 that it should be pursued with government support, based on decentralization and local autonomy. In the lecture organized by Yonsei Leadership Center, he reminded the audience that is was “the former president Roh Moo-hyun who promised to develop Sejong City as multi-functional administrative city before he was elected as a president to attract votes in Chungcheong Province.” Governor Kim also pointed out that “multi-functional administrative city should have been established in other undeveloped provinces such as Gangwon province if it was for balanced regional development.” For this reason, he claimed that “the former plan for Sejong City is a typical case of political bargaining and an obstacle to international competitiveness.” He insisted that the local development can be achieved through decentralization and local autonomy not through the promises made during election period, citing the city of Shenzhen in China as an example. “Many cities like Shenzhen in China achieved great success due to their own right to make decisions in tax and administrative permissions given under the ‘open door’ policy of Deng Shao Ping,” he said. “Local development,” in his view, “should be planned by including the support from the central government, although based on decentralization and local autonomy.” Praising the former president Lee Seung-man as the politician he admired most, Governor Kim said, “President Lee Seung-man played a very important role during and until the introduction of democratic system after gaining independence from the colonial rule.” At the end of the lecture, he emphasized that the role of university students who have lofty visions, who they are important for Korea’s future development. He told the students, therefore, “to have vision and make challenges.”