Election of Unified Organization Heads in 2026
To Proceed After Formation of Expert Task Force
When Hong Joonpyo, Mayor of Daegu, proposed the administrative integration of Daegu City and North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang, expressed his strong support.
On the 19th, Mayor Hong Joonpyo stated on Facebook, "If Daegu and North Gyeongsang are integrated to form a Daegu Metropolitan City with a population of five million, Daegu will become the second largest city on the Korean Peninsula. By abolishing the province and establishing a two-tier administrative system directly connecting the metropolitan city and the central government, overlapping institutions can be consolidated, the complex administrative structure will be simplified, and administrative efficiency will be maximized."
Mayor Hong continued, "Since Governor Lee Cheolwoo of North Gyeongsang is also responding positively, if the integration is realized, only one integrated Daegu Metropolitan Mayor will be elected in the local elections two years from now. The administrative restructuring initiated in Daegu and North Gyeongsang will serve as a reference for other cities and provinces and could signal a nationwide administrative overhaul. In fact, among the three-tier administrative system, the provincial level is no longer needed in this era," he reiterated his intention to pursue administrative integration.
Mayor Hong also added, "The administrative system should be reorganized into two tiers: local governments and the central government. Isn't the current move to split Gyeonggi Province going against the times? Wouldn't it be better for Gyeonggi Province to abolish the provincial level and merge neighboring local governments to create a two-tier administrative structure? This is not just a sudden idea but a reform of the administrative system that I have long considered."
In response, Governor Lee Cheolwoo of North Gyeongsang expressed his strong support and stated that practical work should begin soon.
Through Facebook, Governor Lee stated, "With the current single-centered structure around the capital region, we cannot solve national challenges such as regional extinction and low birth rates," emphasizing the need for administrative integration between Daegu City and North Gyeongsang Province.
Governor Lee presented a specific timeline, saying, "After forming an administrative integration task force composed of city and provincial officials, civic groups, academics, and other experts, the city and provincial councils should approve the plan within this year, and the National Assembly should pass the Daegu-North Gyeongsang administrative integration bill in the first half of next year. In the 2026 local elections, let's elect the head of the integrated Daegu-North Gyeongsang administration."
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