Pedestrians cross a busy intersection in Seoul’s central business district as the city continues to draw population from the surrounding regions.
SEOUL · May 11, 2026
For decades, South Korea’s regional hubs like Busan and Daegu have fought a losing battle against the gravity of Seoul. Despite billions in "balanced development" spending, the youth exodus remains relentless. But halfway across the world, a new model: dubbed "Manchesterism": is providing the fiscal evidence Korean mayors have lacked: that cities govern better when they hold the purse strings. Greater Manchester’s experience is now the primary case study for Korean officials looking to break the cycle of centralized decline.
The Power of the Good Growth Fund
In just four months, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s "Good Growth Fund" surged from £1 billion to £2 billion. This growth wasn't a gift from the central government; it was the result of building "institutional capacity." By creating a local system capable of managing massive investment without constant Westminster approval, Manchester has transformed into a self-governing economic engine. The city outside the capital has proven it can build the capacity to govern itself more effectively than the national center ever could.
Why Korea is Watching
Korean regional mayors have long argued that centralized policies dictated from Seoul cannot solve local depopulation. While Seoul’s youth population grew significantly last year, regional cities hit new "extinction" warnings. Manchester’s success proves that fiscal devolution: moving investment decisions to the city level with mayoral accountability: is no longer an academic theory. It is a working proof of concept for revitalizing non-capital regions that are currently being drained of their talent and economic potential.
Shifting the Accountability
The Manchester model shifts the burden of proof. It argues that the national center isn't naturally better at making decisions; it is simply where the power is currently stored. For South Korea, the challenge is now political. The evidence of Manchester’s growth suggests that the path to saving regional cities lies in surrendering fiscal control. Whether Seoul’s national government is willing to grant that level of autonomy is the final hurdle in replicating this success.
Source: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/ / https://www.centreforcities.org/
Tags: Seoul / Devolution / Regional Cities / Korea / Manchester / Urban Policy / bcdW Current Today : May 11, 2026
