[Insight & Opinion] Local Cities Viewed Through the Lens of Megalopolitan Areas: A Shift in Status

A Perspective Beyond Administrative Boundaries
Reevaluating the Importance of Busan, Ulsan, Gimhae, and More as a Key Region in Northeast Asia

[Asia Economy] Rhode Island, where I have lived for several years, is the smallest state in the United States. Its capital, Providence, has a population of 190,000, so it is not a large city. However, including several adjacent cities, the population jumps to 620,000. Expanding the view further to the metropolitan area, it can include the entire state of Rhode Island as well as parts of Massachusetts with which there is significant interaction, reaching a population of 1.6 million. Moreover, due to geographical proximity, it is often considered part of the Boston metropolitan area, in which case the Boston-Providence megalopolis approaches a population of 8.5 million.

In many countries, including Korea, administrative districts often have a long history. Boundaries were usually determined based on geographical barriers such as rivers or mountains that hindered interaction between regions. However, since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, geographical limitations have been overcome, and rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to the formation of metropolitan and megalopolitan areas centered around specific cities that transcend previous administrative boundaries.

Viewing cities through the lens of these metropolitan and megalopolitan areas reveals a status completely different from that defined by administrative districts. In other words, it allows for a renewed recognition of the importance and role of the region within the country. This new awareness not only aids in implementing policies aimed at balanced regional development, economic revitalization, and urban regeneration but also encourages new cooperation within the metropolitan area, fostering further development.

What if we look at Korean cities through the lens of megalopolitan areas? Above all, the status of regional cities changes completely. For example, Busan, the second-largest city, is large on its own, but if you include the adjacent cities of Ulsan, Gimhae, Yangsan, Geoje, as well as Changwon and Miryang with which it has significant interaction, the population reaches 7 million, crossing three administrative districts, thus forming a so-called megalopolitan area. Viewed this way, the region is recognized not as a mere provincial city but as an important location in Northeast Asia.

What about Daejeon? Right next to it are Sejong City and, even earlier, the much closer Cheongju. Although they are different administrative districts, if Daejeon, Sejong, and Cheongju are viewed as a megalopolitan area, the region has a population of about 2.7 million. This gives it a much greater status than when viewed separately.

By recognizing regions beyond traditional administrative boundaries as megalopolitan areas, not only does the status change, but the economic foundation and cooperation methods to improve residents' quality of life also diversify. When universities within a megalopolitan area collaborate, they can attract excellent students, including international students, which in turn provides an opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of knowledge industries. Establishing efficient cooperative systems to attract young entrepreneurs who contribute to regional revitalization can also be pursued much more comprehensively than at the individual city level.

Furthermore, cooperation in areas related to public welfare is also much more diverse and active. By cooperating with central government welfare policies for the elderly and socially vulnerable while considering regional characteristics, more delicate policies can be developed. Additionally, by significantly increasing linear parks that transcend administrative boundaries, cooperation related to environmental ecology within the megalopolitan area can contribute to revitalizing green spaces for residents, opening up various possibilities.

Perhaps the solution to problems difficult to solve solely by traditional administrative districts with long histories lies here. If so, why not actively begin efforts to re-recognize the status of regions as megalopolitan areas?

Robert Pauzer, Former Professor at Seoul National University