Scheduled Signing of 'Administrative Integration Agreement' at Four-Party Meeting on 21st at Seoul Government Complex
Legislation Expected with Government Support
Discussions on the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) have gained momentum. Although conflicts over the location of the integrated government building nearly led to a breakdown, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety proposed a mediation plan, allowing negotiations to proceed. With an agreement reached between Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province, full-scale government support is expected to be promoted.
On the afternoon of the 21st, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Chairman of the Local Era Committee Woo Dong-gi, Mayor of Daegu Hong Joon-pyo, and Governor of Gyeongbuk Lee Cheol-woo met at the Government Seoul Office to announce a joint agreement and hold discussions. This is the result achieved about four months after their first four-party meeting in June.
The mediation plan proposed by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 11th played a significant role in this agreement. The plan included six key points: ▲the establishment of an integrated local government with status equivalent to a capital city after abolishing Daegu and Gyeongbuk ▲transfer of government authority and finances while maintaining the duties of cities, counties, and autonomous districts ▲utilization of Daegu and Gyeongbuk government buildings without setting jurisdictional boundaries ▲the rank and number of deputy mayors and fire chiefs with status equivalent to that of a capital city ▲decision on the location of the council through a joint general meeting of both assemblies ▲principles of consulting city and provincial councils and efforts to gather residents’ opinions.
At the first meeting, Daegu and Gyeongbuk each expressed the urgency of integrating the two metropolitan local governments to secure new growth engines and enhance regional competitiveness. However, conflicts continued over the number and location of integrated government buildings and the reduction of city and county authority. In August, Mayor Hong mentioned on Facebook that “it is truly regrettable that the local administrative reform efforts carried on for the past three years failed due to differing opinions,” effectively stating that integration discussions would be halted.
With both sides accepting the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s mediation plan, government support and the TK administrative integration are expected to proceed more swiftly. The government has decided to review cost support and special privileges through a pan-government integration support group once TK presents an agreement. If Daegu and Gyeongbuk prepare a special law for administrative integration, it will proceed through the approval of city and provincial councils and the National Assembly’s legislative process. At the first meeting, the government, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk announced their goal to launch the TK integrated local government on July 1, 2026, and to complete the procedures for enacting the special law within this year.
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