President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, about 110 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, about 110 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung vowed Tuesday to step up efforts for a balanced regional development, saying that such efforts would be the only way to achieve sustainable growth and decrease congestion in Seoul and its neighboring area.

Lee made the remarks while presiding over his first Cabinet meeting at the government complex in the city of Sejong, about 110 kilometers south of Seoul, since taking office in June.

"For sustainable growth and development, balanced national growth is no longer a matter of choice but of destiny," he said. "The entire nation must equally enjoy opportunities for progress."

He warned of problems stemming from the concentration of resources in the Seoul metropolitan area and the decline of provincial regions, pledging tailored strategies to foster strategic industries to advance balanced development.

"The limits of capital concentration in the capital region are clear," he said. "If we continue like this, the capital region will overflow while the provinces wither away, making sustainable development for the people difficult."

Lee vowed to accelerate the implementation of the "five hubs and three special zones" strategy, which envisions five regional growth centers -- the Seoul metropolitan area and four other regional hubs -- along with three special autonomous provinces: Gangwon, North Jeolla and Jeju.

He said the presidential office will set up a branch in Sejong in addition to its Seoul headquarters, calling it the "cornerstone" of the envisioned administrative capital.

"(The government) will push for the construction of the Sejong (presidential) office and the National Assembly building in Sejong without delay," he said. (Yonhap)