Agreement with Mayor Hong Junpyo to Be Reached by End of This Month, Announced During TK Administrative Integration Lecture
On the 23rd, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheolwoo stated, "After the administrative integration of TK, I will bring central government authority and transfer it significantly to cities, counties, and districts," making it clear that he has no intention of conceding on the issue of local government authority, which has been a point of disagreement with Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo.
At the "Decentralization and Integration" forum held at 2 p.m. at Keimyung University Daemyeong Campus in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu, Governor Lee said, "We must bring central authority in administrative integration. I have demanded that, except for national defense and diplomacy, everything else should be handed over."
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, is giving a lecture at Keimyung University Daemyeong Campus in downtown Daegu.
Governor Lee stated, "An international school is needed in the new provincial government city established in Andong, but the Ministry of Education does not grant permission. The Ministry of Education manages universities. It's all uniform. The subjects taught at Seoul National University and Kyungpook National University are exactly the same, which creates a hierarchy. Seoul National University only needs to focus on basic research," and argued, "University management should be transferred to provincial governors and mayors."
He continued, "In France, the number of regional administrative bodies was reduced from 22 to 13, each with a population unit of 5 million. If Daegu and Gyeongbuk are integrated, the population will exceed 5 million. This will create its own competitiveness," and reiterated, "If we bring central authority after integrating Daegu and Gyeongbuk, we will gain power."
Governor Lee also said, "If Daegu and Gyeongbuk are integrated, I will build a subway. The Gyeongsan-Gumi railway started in 2014 but is still unfinished. This means the central government does not want to do it. The distance between Gyeongsan and Gumi is 60km, but it takes 10 years. Once the railway is built, people will move, and when people move, they spend money. Even just having a subway will change Daegu and Gyeongbuk."
He further commented, "After administrative integration, there are differing opinions on where to locate the government office. When the provincial office was relocated in 2016, a new building was constructed. These days, I am having difficulties because of people who are not willing to communicate. The issue of the government office can be discussed again even after the special law is submitted to the National Assembly; it is not too late."
Regarding the authority of local governments, Governor Lee said, "Mayor Hong wants to reduce city and county authority and have the integrated mayor manage directly, but I believe city and county authority should be expanded. After integration, central authority should be boldly transferred to cities and counties."
He added, "Integration requires a more revolutionary approach than separation. Integration is more than ten times harder than separation. Daejeon-Chungnam and Gwangju-Jeonnam are also watching. The Blue House is also positive about delegating authority. While Mayor Hong suggests reducing local government authority like the districts in Seoul, I remain firm in my belief that local government authority should be expanded," and said, "Although there are differences in opinion, an agreement is possible by the end of this month."
In conclusion, Governor Lee stated, "If you argue for reducing city and county authority, integration will never happen. Central authority must be brought in and transferred to cities and counties. In the digital age, we may even move toward township-level autonomy rather than basic local governments."
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