특구와 지방자치단체의 재정자치권

Special Zone and Fiscal Autonomy in Local Government

There are a few special zoning policies being promoted in Korea these days - free economic zones, specialized tourism zones, and so on. Unlike in general areas, preferential treatment is given in such specially zoned areas. The latest policy is another to develop region-specific strategic industries and reinvigorate regional economy. Each local government designated as special zone can do its own business based on regional characteristics. The central government deregulates unnecessary restrictions by regions but affords no financial help to local business. Here the region-specific industries development policy comes to be in close connection with fiscal autonomy of local government. This paper tried to make clear the meaning of the relationship between the local autonomy in financial side and the promotion of special zone for region-specific strategic industries development. And I concluded that the success of special zone policy for region-specific strategic industries development would depend on whether the local governments obtain enough funds and achieve substantial local autonomy in finance. At any rate, there still leave many problems to be settled.