Jeju Island is an island territory located south of the Korean Peninsula. Geographically, the region is separated from the South Korean mainland by the Korea Strait. The land area of Jeju Province covers approximately 1,833 square kilometers.
The South Korean government officially inaugurated a new administrative status for the region on July 1, 2006. The official name of the region was changed to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The status established Jeju as the first special autonomous province in the South Korean governance system.
The designation of the special status was based on the need to accelerate the development of the southern region as an international trade and tourism hub. Through the status, the central government transferred the majority of domestic administrative powers to the provincial government.
Delegation of Executive Authority in 2006
The legal foundation for the region's autonomy is regulated under the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The law was passed by the National Assembly of South Korea in early 2006. The regulation handed over more than 4,600 executive authority functions from the central government in Seoul to the Jeju Provincial Government.
In the execution of regional governance, the highest executive power is held by a governor elected through local elections. The Governor of Jeju possesses the authority to independently determine the regional bureaucratic structure and formulate operational policies. Budget oversight functions and the drafting of local ordinances are carried out by the Jeju Provincial Council.
The provincial government also established the Jeju Autonomous Police to manage public order and local traffic. The police force operates independently from the Korean National Police. Nevertheless, the central government in Seoul retains full control over national defense, foreign policy, and the general judicial system.
Consolidation of Administrative Jurisdictions Under the Provincial Government
The Jeju Provincial Government streamlined its local bureaucratic structure when the autonomy reform took effect. Prior to 2006, the region was divided into four second-tier jurisdictions: Jeju City, Seogwipo City, Bukjeju County, and Namjeju County.
The provincial government expanded and merged the four jurisdictions into two primary cities. The two new administrative units are Jeju City in the north and Seogwipo City in the south.
Jeju City and Seogwipo City hold the status of administrative cities without local legislative councils. The mayors of the two cities are not elected through general elections, but are appointed directly by the Governor of Jeju. All public licensing, budget allocations, and urban spatial planning are centralized under the coordination of the Jeju Provincial Government.
Immigration Regulatory Support for the Investment Ecosystem
The Jeju Provincial Government applies special immigration rules in the form of a 30-day visa-free policy for foreign nationals entering directly through Jeju International Airport or Jeju Port. The facility applies to almost all countries, except for 23 countries specifically designated by the South Korean Ministry of Justice and nations subject to reciprocal suspensions as of June 2022.
Jeju's visa-free entry is local in scope and does not serve as a national entry permit to the South Korean mainland. Visitors from countries that lack national visa-free access to South Korea are required to apply for an extension of sojourn area permission from the Jeju Immigration Office or obtain an official visa before traveling to the mainland.
The central government maintains immigration checkpoints at Jeju's airport and ports to enforce the movement restrictions.
The Jeju Provincial Government provides specialized economic facilities through the Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC), a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea. JDC develops specialized zones such as the Jeju Global Education City and integrated medical complexes to attract foreign capital.
Through its autonomous authority, the Jeju Provincial Government offers incentives including local tax exemptions for up to ten years. Foreign investors in the tourism, education, and healthcare sectors also receive import duty exemptions on capital goods as well as streamlined residency permissions within Jeju.
