Gyeonggi Province launches regulatory reform task force amid reorganization controversy

Gyeonggi Province has launched a regulatory reform working group to address overlapping regulations involving water environments, military facilities, and development restriction zones. Led by Economic Director Park No-geuk, the task force aims to move away from fragmented departmental suggestions toward a strategic approach that selects core tasks for high-level coordination with central government ministries and the National Assembly.

The initiative follows a four-stage process: identifying issues within eight types of overlapping regulations, selecting core candidates based on impact and urgency, refining these into actionable policies through joint analysis with the Gyeonggi Research Institute, and finally submitting them to the Regulatory Rationalization Committee. The province plans to finalize core candidate tasks between November and December, with deliberations expected in the first half of next year.

Simultaneously, the province is facing significant backlash regarding a proposed administrative reorganization aimed at increasing efficiency. The plan to reduce the number of departments from 30 bureaus to 25 has drawn criticism from political figures and civil society groups. Opponents argue that the abolition of departments such as the Social Innovation Economy Bureau and the Immigration and Social Affairs Bureau threatens policy continuity and weakens protections for social minorities and labor rights.