Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok Publicly Criticizes Gimpo Annexation Plan
Former Busan Mayor Seo Byung-soo: "Already Mega Seoul"
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo: "Regressive Era"
The People Power Party is pushing for the incorporation of Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province into Seoul as a party policy, but there are voices of dissatisfaction within the party.
On the 6th, Yoo Jeong-bok, mayor of Incheon City and a member of the People Power Party, criticized the lack of careful consideration or public discussion regarding the Gimpo incorporation plan, calling it an irresponsible act that only causes public confusion by turning it into an issue with an "either way" attitude.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok criticized the 'Gimpo Seoul Incorporation Plan' as a "political show with no feasibility." Photo by Mayor Yoo's Facebook
On the 6th, Mayor Yoo held a press conference at Incheon City Hall, stating, "This is an unattainable illusion and a political show that only causes public confusion," and pointed out that "restructuring the local administrative system is a significant matter that requires cooperation from various stakeholders, so gathering public opinion is essential."
He continued, "This incorporation plan was made without consultation with any local government and has not been reviewed in terms of capital defense or financial support," adding, "There is a proposal to incorporate Gimpo, which is half the size of Seoul, into Seoul, which could accelerate the concentration in Seoul. We must not become a 'Republic of Seoul Special City' that goes against the promotion of the local era."
Earlier, Seo Byung-soo, the most senior (five-term) member of the People Power Party, also pointed out that Seoul is already a 'super ultra mega city' and that the 'Mega City Seoul' undermines South Korea's competitiveness.
On the 5th, Seo criticized on his Facebook, "The concept of a mega city came out with the intention of transforming South Korea's unipolar metropolitan area system into a multipolar system such as the Southeast region and Honam region to enhance the country's overall competitiveness," and added, "Are you trying to use that mega city concept to make Seoul even more 'mega'?"
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also voiced his opinion, saying, "Isn't this a policy that goes against the times?" On the 1st, Mayor Hong said on Facebook, "While the president is holding meetings every day, making balanced national development the most important policy in the era of decentralization, is it right to further enlarge Seoul, which has already become a mega city, and deepen the concentration in the metropolitan area? Everything is confusing."
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