Friendly Talk at Provincial Office on the 2nd... "We Must Not End Up Like Daegu and Gyeongbuk Due to Poor Preparation"
Kim Taeheum, Governor of Chungnam, and Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, expressed mutual understanding regarding the integration of the two local governments.
On the 2nd, Governor Kim met with Mayor Lee, who visited the provincial government office to give a special lecture to employees, and had a friendly conversation. During the meeting, Kim mentioned the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, emphasizing the importance of leaving a legacy for future generations rather than focusing on current vested interests.
Mayor Lee stated, "The issue of integration is not something that should be rushed, and it requires sufficient consent from Chungnam residents and Daejeon citizens. We originally share the same roots, and there must be enough mutual understanding for both sides to welcome the change. We should not proceed with inadequate preparation and end up like Daegu and Gyeongbuk."
He added, "If we only think about current vested interests or benefits, there may be disagreements. However, what is more important is preparing to leave the land of Chungcheong as a legacy for our descendants. In the long term, the Daejeon urban railway should be extended to Naepo New Town following Geumsan, Gyeryong, Nonsan, and Gongju."
Governor Kim also said, "Even now, there are people who live in Geumsan and commute to Daejeon, and vice versa. It is not desirable to be divided by administrative boundaries."
He continued, "Some people dislike the idea of relocating the Livestock Research Institute currently in Sejong to Gongju, but since people can commute from Daejeon or Sejong, it is not a significant issue. If we become a metropolitan area with a population of five million, it will be easier to allocate functions appropriately?what should be in the city can remain in the city, and what does not need to be can be relocated elsewhere."
After the discussion, Mayor Lee gave a special lecture at the provincial government’s cultural and arts center on the topic of 'Daejeon City's Future Strategy and Vision.'
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