Translation result.
Extending the legal basis for support tied to the relocation of U.S. Forces Korea through 2030 gives Pyeongtaek a firmer fiscal and administrative foundation to pursue local priorities, including development of returned military land and the establishment of Godeok International School.
On June 2, the government, chaired by President Lee Jae-myung, convened the 24th Cabinet meeting and the 11th Emergency Economic Review at the Blue House. The Cabinet reviewed and approved 40 items for law promulgation, 20 presidential decrees, one bill, and three general agenda items.
Ministers approved the promulgation of the amended Special Act on Support for Pyeongtaek in Relation to the Relocation of U.S. Military Bases (the amended Pyeongtaek Support Special Act), which the National Assembly passed last month. The amendment extends the special law’s expiration—originally set for the end of this year—by four years, to Dec. 31, 2030, and it takes effect immediately upon promulgation.
The original Pyeongtaek Support Special Act was enacted in 2004 after Pyeongtaek assumed national security burdens associated with the relocation of the Yongsan U.S. military base, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, and Camp Humphreys. With projects to develop returned land, expand transport and road networks, and improve education and living conditions still underway, local communities had consistently called to preserve the legal basis for continued support.
The extension preserves central government funding authority for initiatives such as establishing Godeok International School, creating industrial complexes, and expanding infrastructure. That continuity should allow Pyeongtaek’s medium- and long-term urban development plans to proceed more securely. Observers say the decision is significant because it maintains support for a region that has shouldered special burdens for national security.
The Cabinet also promulgated a Special Act to promote the artificial intelligence data center industry.
The law creates special zones for AI data centers outside the Seoul metropolitan area to strengthen industry competitiveness and encourage balanced national development. It exempts new or expanded non-capital-region data centers from power-system impact assessments and streamlines permitting during construction by simplifying licensing procedures and granting related regulatory exceptions.
While the government frames the measure as a step to build distributed AI infrastructure and promote regional balance, industry players in Gyeonggi Province have expressed concerns. Pangyo, Seongnam, Suwon, Yongin, and Hwaseong are core hubs for South Korea’s AI and semiconductor industries, yet the new law grants special zone status and regulatory relief only to non-capital regions.
Observers warn that if future investment in data centers and AI shifts toward non-capital areas, it could fuel allegations of reverse discrimination against the Seoul metropolitan area—particularly given concentrated high-tech investment around the Yongin semiconductor cluster and Pangyo Techno Valley. The government counters that expanding data centers outside the capital is necessary to bolster national AI competitiveness.
Separately, the Cabinet promulgated an amendment to the Labor Standards Act allowing paid annual leave to be taken in hourly increments. The amendment permits an employee scheduled for a four-hour shift to leave without taking prescribed break time if they request not to use it, and it prohibits employers from imposing penalties for using annual leave.
The Cabinet also approved revisions to enforcement ordinances that expand medical support for national merit recipients, independence activists, and veterans to include public medical institutions such as national university hospitals and regional medical centers.
In addition, ministers processed legal updates across industry, safety, and veterans affairs, including amendments to the Defense Industrial Technology Protection Act, the Enforcement Decree of the Performing Arts Act, and the Wildlife Protection and Management Act.
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