President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea must address the overconcentration of population and resources in the Seoul metropolitan area to secure its future, warning that regional community extinction, low birth rates and population aging are creating a crisis from both sides. At a luncheon with mayors, county chiefs and district chiefs at Cheong Wa Dae on the 27th, Lee pledged to expand the substantive authority and finances of local governments and said support would become more robust the farther an area was from Seoul. He referred to the Local Preference Index, which assesses distance from Seoul, regional socio-economic conditions and population-decline risks and is currently used for seven projects, including child allowances and senior job programs. The government plans to expand its use next year and direct more funding to regions with higher scores. Lee also urged local leaders to ensure that no one loses their life because of economic hardship. The administration is redrawing the industrial map through three mega projects and a five-hub, three-special-zone framework, while pursuing locally driven growth and next-generation strategic industries. The meeting also covered regional proposals, the formal inclusion of the chairman of the Korea Association of Mayors, County Heads, and District Chiefs in Cabinet meetings from August, and the fiscal crisis facing Gyeonggi Province.