The Gangwon State Council has joined in supporting Inje-gun's demands for institutional reform, following the county's backlash against its exclusion from the government's designation of population-declining areas and its classification under Zone 2 of the regional preference index.

In a statement released today, the Gangwon State Council urged, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety must reconsider Inje-gun's classification under Zone 2 of the regional preference index, improve calculation standards to reflect the characteristics of border and mountainous regions, and guarantee procedures for the public disclosure and verification of evaluation grounds."

The council further emphasized, "The results of the population-declining area designations should also be re-evaluated, and measures must be established to secure the continuity of existing support for Population Vitality Plus regions and to resolve unreasonable disparities in support."

In addition, the council demanded, "Gangwon State must closely analyze the development conditions and the impact of support on border and mountainous regions including Inje-gun, and actively respond in a joint effort by presenting official opinions to the government for the readjustment of zones and improvement of designation criteria."

The provincial council plans to send the statement to the National Assembly, the Office of the President, the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and the Governor of Gangwon State.

(Photo: Provided by Gangwon State Council, Yonhap News)