Hong Joon-pyo: "Seoul Megacity is a Step Backward... Intensifies Capital Region Concentration"

The People Power Party's push to incorporate Gimpo City into Seoul as a party policy ahead of next year's general election was criticized by Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo as a "regressive move."

On the 1st, Mayor Hong stated on his social media service (SNS), "Is the policy to expand Seoul, which has already become a mega city, correct when it only further enlarges it and intensifies concentration in the metropolitan area?" He added, "The President is also holding daily meetings, making balanced national development the most important policy in this era of decentralization."

Hong Jun-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, is delivering a greeting at the JP Hope Camp closing ceremony held on the 8th at BNB Tower in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He continued, "Integrating Busan and Gyeongnam to create Busan Special City, merging Daegu and Gyeongbuk to form Daegu Special City, and combining Gwangju and Jeonnam to establish Gwangju Special City, among other integrations of local provinces into mega cities, is desirable for balanced national development in the era of decentralization." He said, "(The Seoul mega city) is a regressive policy; it's confusing what is what."