Park Sungman, Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Chairman: "Hong Joonpyo and Lee Cheolwoo Should Stake Their Political Careers on the TK Administrative Integration Referendum"

Asia Forum Invitation Debate
"Opposition Due to Lack of Resident Consensus"

Park Sungman, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, expressed his opposition on the 31st to the ongoing Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration, stating that there has been neither public opinion gathering nor consensus among local residents.

Chairman Park, at the Asia Forum, a gathering of mid-career journalists in Daegu, held at Daegu Art Park in Nam-gu, Daegu at 7:30 am on this day, said, "There is no consensus among the 2.6 million residents of Gyeongbuk and the 2.3 million citizens of Daegu regarding the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration. There is strong opposition from 11 cities and counties in the northern Gyeongbuk region, including Andong and Yecheon," and added, "To directly confirm the will of the residents, a referendum is desirable. A referendum is transparent and not procedurally difficult."

Sungman Park, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council

Chairman Park also said, "Oh Sehoon, the Mayor of Seoul, once risked his position as mayor while promoting free school meals. The Mayor of Daegu and the Governor of Gyeongbuk should also put their positions on the line. If the referendum is rejected, they should stake their political careers," he added.

Chairman Park continued, regarding Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo's negative stance on the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration two years ago, "Mayor Hong is a good politician. He was once the presidential candidate for the ruling party. He is a natural-born politician and a heavyweight figure in the conservative politics of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. However, a politician's words must carry weight. And the use of power should be lighter than a feather," he stated.

The Provincial Council Chairman Park said, "The plan for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration is to pass through the city and provincial councils and for the central political sphere to enact a special law in the National Assembly. However, I doubt whether the Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the National Assembly, will pass the special law for administrative integration. It is also worth considering a two-track approach, pursuing both the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration and the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration."

He said, "Currently, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration is being pushed forward urgently. I do not know where the idea that the integration must be completed by 2026 came from," and added, "The most important issue in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration is the economy. We should also consider lifting the Daegu and Gyeongbuk blocks and prioritizing economic integration, as well as developing Gyeongbuk by region. The important thing is not the resolution of the city and provincial councils, but how it is passed. Once the city and province are integrated, there will be many issues, such as what to do with national agencies like the Daegu Police Agency and the Gyeongbuk Police Agency."

Chairman Park urged, "To achieve city-province integration, it is necessary to form a consensus. The opinions of the 12 Daegu National Assembly members and 13 Gyeongbuk National Assembly members should be sought first, and the mayors and county heads in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region should be persuaded by the governor visiting each region. Everything should be set aside and a new plan should be drawn from a blank slate. Only then will answers emerge."

Chairman Park also commented on Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo's proposal to allow casinos to persuade the northern Gyeongbuk region, saying, "Did Daegu City promise to draft a development plan for the northern Gyeongbuk region? I felt my pride was hurt when Daegu City brought a roadmap for the northern Gyeongbuk region. I was upset," and added, "In the process of discussing administrative integration, it is necessary to maintain a respectful attitude toward each other. If we are to integrate the city and province, we must do it properly. We need to create a local community where people can live well without moving to the Seoul metropolitan area. Even if it takes time, let's proceed with city-province integration carefully and thoroughly," he urged.

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