B ｜ The Dilution of “Special” Status

Jeonbuk has steadily strengthened the legal basis for its special status: a comprehensive revision in December 2023 expanded its Special Act to 131 articles, and an April 2026 amendment added 32 special provisions. Yet the July 2026 launch of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, with 3.2 million residents and a 408-article special act, made Jeonbuk’s “special” status less distinctive. With integrated special metropolitan cities and special acts multiplying amid a national strategy centered on five mega-regions and three special self-governing provinces, Jeonbuk needs to take decisive action to distinguish its special self-governing status.

E ｜ Emerging Risks

The list of risks is changing. Heat, familiar farming practices, electricity, and convenient algorithms—once considered safe—are now emerging as sources of risk. An incident in one sector may trigger cascading effects in others, threatening society’s ability to function. Is Jeonbuk prepared for such risks?

L ｜ The Competition to Attract People and Businesses

Regions are competing so aggressively for people and businesses that their efforts resemble sales pitches. The contest is zero-sum: one region’s gain is another’s loss. For Jeonbuk, the stakes are survival. As population decline deepens, regions increasingly turn to similar tactics. What bold strategy will attract more people and businesses to Jeonbuk and persuade them to stay? If Jeonbuk succeeds in attracting them but cannot keep them, the public funds spent attracting them will end up paying for their move to another region.

L ｜ A Regional Model for a Decent Life

A Basic Society should not stop at guaranteeing a minimum livelihood. It should enable Jeonbuk residents to lead a decent life in every area, including income, healthcare, education, care, housing, mobility, employment, and leisure. Four Jeonbuk counties are participating in the Rural Basic Income Pilot Program, the highest number in the country. Jeonbuk must now move beyond a simple policy experiment and present a new regional model for a Basic Society.

W ｜ Resource Sovereignty

The struggle to retain control over local resources is intensifying. The benefits derived from sunlight, wind, and water belong to communities where those resources are found. This principle applies not only to energy but also to drinking water, data, culture, and talent. Electricity produced in Jeonbuk has gone unsold, while artifacts recovered from the Yellow Sea have been sent to other regions due to insufficient local storage capacity. For Jeonbuk, resource sovereignty is a security issue rather than an industrial one.

E ｜ Encore Careers

Population aging has long been framed solely as a problem. In Jeonbuk, 26.61% of the population is aged 65 or older, the fourth-highest share nationwide. The question is whether to see this figure as a measure of burden or of potential. When retirement becomes a transition into an ecosystem of second careers rather than an exit from work, Jeonbuk can turn population aging into a new foundation for growth. Retirees, in turn, can remain active participants in the labor market and their communities.

T ｜ Local Capitalism

Subsidies disappear once spent, but ownership stakes in industries built on regional resources can yield annual returns like a pension. Residents can see the benefits of growth in their bank accounts, not just in economic indicators. What is the point of attracting a large company if local residents see no tangible gains? Unless Jeonbuk becomes a region where residents hold ownership stakes rather than merely receive benefits, even major investments will mean little to them. Jeonbuk needs to shift from one-time subsidies to local ownership that allows capital to accumulate within the region.

H ｜ Medi Convergence

Healthcare now takes many forms outside hospitals: medifood at the dinner table, digital wellness content on screens, and healing services in fields, forests, and coastal areas. Jeonbuk boasts agri-bio, forest, and marine resources. If it remains weak in healthcare, the problem is its failure to connect these resources, not a lack of them. A new “Medi Jeonbuk” calls for cross-sector thinking.

E ｜ The Rise of the Overlooked

Notable trends include an expanding women’s sports market, a growing immigrant population, the rise of active seniors, and the increasing popularity of vocational high schools. Together, they show that groups long overlooked by the mainstream are becoming consumers and generating demand across industries. They are no longer marginal. Some warrant attention as newly vulnerable groups; others are becoming key consumers. Jeonbuk has sizable groups that do not fit the profile of the “average” resident. The region that recognizes this shift first will capture the next market.

R ｜ The AI Nexus

Jeonbuk has a limited window to build its AI competitiveness. Without timely action, its agri-bio, carbon materials, and commercial vehicle industries may be remembered only for their past achievements. Competing in AI now depends on an integrated ecosystem that connects power, water supply, data, sites, and talent. Unless Jeonbuk brings these assets together, Saemangeum’s 10 GW of generating capacity could serve only to power industries elsewhere.

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