Yeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, protested against the government's designation as Zone 3 of the local preferential index and requested that it be readjusted to Zone 4.
According to Yeongju City in Gyeongsangbuk-do on the 9th, the city submitted a review opinion to Gyeongbuk Province on the 23rd of last month requesting to adjust Yeongju City from Zone 3 to Zone 4 in the regional preferential index designation plan announced by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
Yeongju City cited the fact that it was classified into three regions along with Pohang, Gyeongju, Gimcheon, Gyeongsan, and Chilgok in North Gyeongsang Province, which have different regional conditions such as population and income scale, as the reason for the readjustment.
In addition, citing the fact that Andong City, the location of the provincial office, which is not much different from Yeongju City in terms of distance, was designated as Zone 4, they stated that it would be appropriate for Yeongju City to also be adjusted to Zone 4.
Previously, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety divided 229 cities, counties, and districts nationwide into 1 to 4 regions according to the level of preferential treatment in order to differentially apply government support to local policy projects starting next year.
The local preference index is calculated by combining social and economic indicators such as physical distance from Seoul, population growth rate, total fertility rate, financial independence, regional gross domestic product, and increase or decrease in the number of business employees.
The level of preferential treatment is lowest in Zone 1 and highest in Zone 4.
In Gyeongbuk, Gumi-si was classified as Zone 2, and seven other cities, including Yeongju, Pohang, Gyeongju, Gimcheon, Gyeongsan, and Chilgok and Yecheon-gun, were classified as Zone 3.
Fourteen places, including Andong, Yeongcheon, Sangju, and Mungyeong-si, and Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, Yeongdeok, Cheongdo, Goryeong, Seongju, Bonghwa, Uljin, and Ulleung-gun, were designated as Region 4.
National support rates also vary depending on the region.
Currently, the national support rate for local love gift certificates is 3% for the metropolitan area, 5% for non-metropolitan areas, and 7% for areas with declining populations, but from next year, it will be differentially applied to 3% for area 1, 6% for area 2, 8% for area 3, and 9% for area 4.
It has not yet been determined whether Yeongju City's request for district reorganization will lead to an actual designation change.
An official from Yeongju City said, "Local governments in the southern part of Gyeongbuk, which have a larger population and income and better regional conditions than Yeongju, were classified as Zone 3, and Andong City, which does not have much difference in distance, was classified as Zone 4. Considering this, we submitted a written opinion requesting that Yeongju City be adjusted to Zone 4 as well."
