By Lee Jon-young

Sweden, a Nordic welfare state, has agreed to learn about the special autonomy initiated by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and expand exchanges between the two regions.
 

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Oh Young-hoon met with Swedish parliamentarians, including Erik Ottoson, vice chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Swedish Parliament, and Daniel Wolven, Swedish ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

The delegation consisted of 10 members of the Swedish Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee came to Jeju to learn about the special autonomy granted to Jeju Island, its operation, and success stories.

During the meeting, Governor Oh and the Swedish delegation shared information on the achievements and challenges of the launch of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and discussed ways to cooperate on policy and business exchanges in various fields.

"We came to Jeju to learn about its status and achievements as a special autonomous region," said Vice Chairman Ottoson. "We hope that this visit will expand exchanges between Jeju and Sweden and provide an opportunity to help, learn, and solve problems in various fields."

"Jeju's focus on renewable energy, green hydrogen, and fostering the private space industry is very similar to Sweden's," said Ambassador Wolven, "and I hope that practical exchanges and collaborations can be made that will greatly benefit the technological development of both regions."

"Since the establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in 2006 and the process of transferring some of the central government's powers to Jeju, Jeju has been leading the country in promoting various future industries," said Gov. Oh, explaining Jeju's core policies, including the special self-governance system, urban air transportation (UAM), green hydrogen, renewable energy, and fostering the private space industry.

"The Jeju province aims to realize the responsibility of 'cradle-to-grave' care at the local government level through integrated care of Jeju values, similar to the Swedish welfare system," he said. "As both regions have many common interests in various fields, we look forward to active exchanges through this visit to Jeju."

After the meeting, the Swedish delegation attended a briefing session on Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, where they heard about its achievements and global agenda over the past 17 years, and in the afternoon, they visited the Jeju Studies Center and Jeju 4-3 Peace Park to experience Jeju's history and culture.