The National Assembly Research Service (NARS), led by Chief Kwan Hu Lee, held the 2026 National Vision Legislative Policy Conference on April 17 at Small Conference Room 1 and eight meeting rooms of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. This conference, held in commemoration of Law Day, marked its fourth anniversary this year. Through this event, the NARS provided a forum to deepen expert discussions on major legislative and policy issues and to strengthen cooperation and communication among the legislature, academia, research institutes, and civil society.

This year’s conference was held under the main theme, “What Are the Balanced Development Strategies for Addressing Regional Inequality?” A total of 109 experts from 22 organizations — including 11 academic societies, eight research institutes, two civic and public-interest organizations, and one public institution — participated in the event. Through one special session and 16 thematic sessions covering a wide range of areas, including local finance, industrial and energy transition, housing, education, care services, and transportation, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the causes of regional inequality and possible solutions.

During the morning special session, Professor Yang Seung-hoon of Kyungnam University delivered the keynote presentation, and Chief Kwan Hu Lee of the NARS moderated the panel discussion. The discussion brought together Lee Hyang-soo, President of the Korean Association for Local Government Studies; Hong Jun-hyung, Professor at Chung-Ang University; Yoon Bi, Director General of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences at the National Research Foundation of Korea; Kim Dae-sung, Senior Research Fellow at the Jeonnam Research Institute; Park Gun-hee, Director of the Pyeongchang County Health and Medical Center; and Hwang Hyun-sook, Director of Parti Co-op, a social cooperative. They discussed the issue of regional inequality and strategies for balanced development. In the afternoon, 16 thematic sessions were held in parallel with the participation of 22 co-hosting organizations.

The event was attended by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik; National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joo Ho-young; Kwon Chil-seung, Chairperson of the Public Administration and Security Committee of the National Assembly; Jeong Jeom-sig, Chairperson of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party; Kim Sung-sik, Vice Chairperson of the National Economic Advisory Council; Yun Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety; and Kim Yun-duk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, who delivered congratulatory remarks.

NARS Chief Kwan Hu Lee said, “Through last year’s study on multidimensional inequality in Korean society, we confirmed that regional inequality is deepening across various areas, including income, assets, education, and health.” He added, “We have reaffirmed that balanced regional growth is a key task that will determine the sustainability of our society.”

Chief Lee further emphasized, “The issue of regional inequality goes beyond simple disparities among regions and is directly linked to the survival of the nation. Through this conference, the NARS will work to develop effective legislative and policy alternatives and help the National Assembly take the lead in discussions on balanced development.”