“통합이 또 다른 지역격차 만들어선 안 돼”…해남군의회, 권역별 균형발전 촉구

전남광주통합특별시 권역별 균형발전 촉구 건의안 / 사진제공=해남군의회

[해남뉴스] [해남=해남뉴스] haenamnews@kakao.com
광주와 전남의 행정통합을 앞두고 산업과 교통, 의료, 교육 등 핵심 기반과 재원이 특정 지역에 집중되지 않도록 권역별 균형발전 전략과 투자·재원 배분체계를 마련해야 한다는 목소리가 해남군의회에서 나왔다.

특히 전남 국립의과대학 후보지 선정 문제를 다시 검토하고, 수도권 접근성이 상대적으로 열악한 서남권의 교통망 확충을 위해 ‘서울~해남 KTX 연결 사업’을 제5차 국가철도망 구축계획에 반영해야 한다는 요구가 제기됐다.

해남군의회 김미숙 의원은 ‘전남광주통합특별시 권역별 균형발전 촉구 건의안’을 제안하며 행정통합이 특정 지역 중심의 성장으로 이어져서는 안 된다고 강조했다.

김 의원은 “광주와 전남의 행정통합 출범은 수도권 일극체제에 대응하고 산업·에너지·농수산 등 지역의 강점을 연계한 새로운 국가균형발전 모델을 만들어가는 중요한 출발점”이라고 밝혔다.

이어 “단순한 행정구역 통합만으로 지역 간 격차가 저절로 해소되는 것은 아니다”며 “산업·교통·의료·교육 등 핵심 기반과 재원이 특정 지역에 편중될 경우 오히려 지역 간 불균형이 더욱 심화될 우려가 있다”고 지적했다.

■ “국립의대 후보지 선정 전면 재검토해야”
건의안은 의료와 교통을 권역별 균형발전의 핵심 과제로 제시했다.
김 의원은 최근 전남 국립의과대학 후보지로 순천대학교가 선정된 것과 관련해 “이러한 결정이 전남·광주 전역의 의료격차 해소와 균형발전에 실질적으로 기여할 수 있는지 면밀한 재검토와 합리적인 대안 마련이 필요하다”고 주장했다.
이에 해남군의회는 지역별 의료수요와 의료접근성, 생활권 등을 종합적으로 고려해 국립의과대학 후보지 선정을 전면 재검토하고 전남·광주 전역의 의료격차 해소와 권역별 균형발전을 실현할 수 있는 방안을 마련할 것을 촉구했다.

■ “서울~해남 KTX, 제5차 국가철도망에 반영해야”
서남권의 교통 접근성 개선도 핵심 요구사항으로 제시됐다.
해남군의회는 수도권 접근성이 열악한 전남·광주 서남권 주민의 이동권을 보장하고 지역의 장기적인 성장 기반을 구축하기 위해 제5차 국가철도망 구축계획에 ‘서울~해남 KTX 연결 사업’을 반드시 반영해야 한다고 요구했다.
철도망 확충과 함께 주거·교육·의료 등 정주여건을 개선해 통합특별시 내 권역별 접근성과 생활환경의 격차를 줄여야 한다는 것이다.

■ 솔라시도, RE100·AI 미래산업 거점으로
해남이 보유한 재생에너지 자원과 솔라시도의 성장 잠재력을 통합특별시의 새로운 성장동력으로 활용해야 한다는 구상도 담겼다.
해남군의회는 ‘재생에너지자립도시 특별법’ 제정을 통해 해남을 에너지자립도시로 지정하고, 솔라시도를 RE100과 AI 등 미래 첨단산업의 거점으로 육성할 것을 제안했다.
풍부한 재생에너지 자원과 대규모 개발 가능 부지를 미래산업과 연결할 경우 해남뿐 아니라 전남광주통합특별시 전체의 산업구조와 지역경제 활성화에 기여할 수 있다는 취지다.

■ “어느 한 지역에 편중되지 않는 통합돼야”
해남군의회는 이번 건의안을 통해 크게 세 가지 사항을 촉구했다.
첫째, 권역별 발전 수준과 지역 특성을 객관적으로 진단하고 지역별 여건과 수요를 반영한 균형발전 전략과 투자·재원 배분체계를 마련할 것을 요구했다.
둘째, 지역별 의료수요와 의료접근성, 생활권 등을 종합적으로 고려해 국립의과대학 후보지 선정을 전면 재검토하고 의료격차 해소와 권역별 균형발전을 위한 합리적인 방안을 마련할 것을 촉구했다.
셋째, 서울~해남 KTX 등 광역교통망과 주거·교육·의료 등 정주여건을 확충하는 동시에 해남 솔라시도의 성장 잠재력을 적극 활용해 통합특별시의 새로운 성장거점으로 육성할 것을 요구했다.
김미숙 의원은 “전남광주통합특별시가 어느 한 지역에 편중되지 않고 모든 권역이 함께 성장하는 상생과 균형발전의 통합이 돼야 한다”는 취지로 건의안의 필요성을 강조했다.

이번 건의안은 광주·전남 행정통합 이후 지역의 규모가 커지는 것에 그치지 않고 산업과 의료, 교통, 교육, 재정 등 실질적인 정책과 투자가 각 권역에 어떻게 배분될 것인지가 중요하다는 문제의식을 담고 있다.

특히 해남을 비롯한 서남권에서는 향후 통합특별시의 주요 정책과 대규모 기반시설 투자가 특정 권역에 집중되지 않도록 권역별 균형발전의 원칙과 구체적인 재원 배분 기준을 제도적으로 마련할 필요가 있다는 요구가 이어질 것으로 보인다.

전남광주통합특별시 권역별 균형발전 촉구 건의안 / 사진제공=ai이미지

“Integration Must Not Create Another Regional Divide”…Haenam County Council Calls for Balanced Regional Development
Council Member Kim Mi-sook Proposes Resolution Calling for Balanced Development Strategy and Fair Allocation of Investment and Financial Resources
“Reconsider the Selection of the National Medical School Site”…Calls for Comprehensive Review of Medical Demand, Accessibility and Living Areas
Urges Inclusion of Seoul–Haenam KTX Connection in the 5th National Railway Network Plan to Improve Southwestern Region’s Accessibility
Proposes Designating Haenam as an Energy Self-Sufficient City and Developing SolaSeaDo into an RE100 and AI Advanced-Industry Hub
Warns Against Concentration of Industry, Transportation, Healthcare and Education in Particular Areas…“Integration Must Enable Every Region to Grow Together”
[Haenam=Haenam News] haenamnews@kakao.com
As Gwangju and Jeonnam move toward administrative integration, the Haenam County Council has called for a balanced regional development strategy and a fair system for allocating investment and financial resources to prevent key infrastructure and funding in industry, transportation, healthcare and education from becoming concentrated in particular areas.
The council has also called for a reconsideration of the selection process for the proposed national medical school in Jeonnam and urged the government to include a Seoul–Haenam KTX connection in the 5th National Railway Network Plan to improve transportation links between the southwestern region and the Seoul metropolitan area.
Haenam County Council Member Kim Mi-sook introduced a resolution calling for balanced development among the different regions of the proposed Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, stressing that administrative integration should not result in growth being concentrated in only certain areas.
“The administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam represents an important starting point for responding to the country’s Seoul-centered structure and creating a new model of balanced national development by connecting the region’s strengths in industry, energy, agriculture and fisheries,” Kim said.
“However, simply integrating administrative jurisdictions will not automatically eliminate regional disparities,” she added. “If key infrastructure and financial resources in industry, transportation, healthcare and education are concentrated in particular areas, regional inequality could instead become even more severe.”
“National Medical School Site Selection Should Be Reconsidered”
The resolution identified healthcare and transportation as two of the most important areas for achieving balanced regional development.
Regarding the recent selection of Sunchon National University as the proposed site for Jeonnam’s national medical school, Kim argued that the decision should be carefully reviewed to determine whether it can substantially contribute to reducing healthcare disparities and promoting balanced development across Jeonnam and Gwangju.
“A thorough reconsideration and reasonable alternatives are necessary to determine whether this decision can genuinely contribute to reducing healthcare disparities and achieving balanced development throughout Jeonnam and Gwangju,” Kim said.
The Haenam County Council therefore called for a comprehensive reconsideration of the national medical school site selection, taking into account regional medical demand, healthcare accessibility and actual living areas.
It also urged authorities to develop a reasonable alternative capable of reducing healthcare disparities across Jeonnam and Gwangju while advancing balanced development among the different regions.
“Seoul–Haenam KTX Must Be Included in the 5th National Railway Network Plan”
Improving transportation accessibility in the southwestern region was another major demand contained in the resolution.
The Haenam County Council called for the Seoul–Haenam KTX connection to be included in the 5th National Railway Network Plan in order to guarantee mobility for residents of southwestern Jeonnam and Gwangju, where access to the Seoul metropolitan area remains relatively limited, and to establish a foundation for long-term regional growth.
The council also stressed the need to improve residential conditions, education and healthcare alongside railway infrastructure in order to reduce disparities in accessibility and quality of life across the integrated metropolitan region.
SolaSeaDo Proposed as RE100 and AI Advanced-Industry Hub
The resolution also proposed utilizing Haenam’s abundant renewable energy resources and the growth potential of SolaSeaDo as a new economic engine for the integrated metropolitan city.
The council proposed designating Haenam as an energy self-sufficient city through the enactment of a special law on renewable energy self-sufficient cities.
It also called for SolaSeaDo to be developed as a strategic hub for future advanced industries, including RE100-related industries and artificial intelligence.
The proposal is based on the view that combining Haenam’s abundant renewable energy resources and large-scale development potential with future industries could contribute not only to Haenam’s growth but also to industrial development and economic revitalization across the entire Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.
“Integration Must Not Be Concentrated in Any One Region”
Through the resolution, the Haenam County Council presented three principal demands.
First, it called for an objective assessment of each region’s level of development and distinctive characteristics, followed by the establishment of a balanced development strategy and an investment and financial allocation system reflecting local conditions and needs.
Second, it called for a comprehensive reconsideration of the national medical school site selection based on regional medical demand, healthcare accessibility and actual living areas, together with reasonable measures to reduce healthcare disparities and promote balanced regional development.
Third, it urged the expansion of metropolitan transportation infrastructure, including the Seoul–Haenam KTX connection, as well as improvements in housing, education and healthcare. At the same time, it called for SolaSeaDo’s growth potential to be actively utilized so that the area can develop into a new growth hub for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.
Kim emphasized the purpose of the resolution, saying that the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City should pursue “integration based on coexistence and balanced development, in which every region grows together rather than development being concentrated in any one area.”
The resolution reflects concerns that the success of the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration should not be measured simply by the creation of a larger administrative entity. Instead, it raises the question of how actual policies, investment and financial resources in industry, healthcare, transportation and education will be distributed among the different regions.
In Haenam and other parts of southwestern Jeonnam in particular, calls are expected to continue for institutional mechanisms that establish clear principles for balanced regional development and concrete standards for allocating financial resources, with the aim of preventing major policies and large-scale infrastructure investment in the integrated metropolitan city from becoming concentrated in particular areas.