“TK Administrative Integration Is Not a Solution to Local Extinction”… Andong City Council Issues Statement of Opposition

Forced Without Gathering Opinions from Residents
Unilateral Promotion by Government and Metropolitan Entities

The Andong City Council (Chairman Kim Kyung-do) announced a statement opposing the promotion of administrative integration between Gyeongbuk and Daegu at 1:30 p.m. on the 25th in front of the city council, with all 18 council members in attendance.

In the statement, the Andong City Council pointed out that “the administrative integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu cannot be a solution to overcome the crisis of local extinction, and the northern region of Gyeongbuk will lose its growth momentum, while the construction of the administrative center Gyeongbuk Provincial Office new town will stop unfinished.”

All 18 members of the Andong City Council are vocally opposing the administrative integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu.

The statement also said, “The promotion of administrative integration between Gyeongbuk and Daegu is a ‘top-down union’ unilaterally pushed forward by metropolitan leaders and the government without gathering opinions from city and provincial residents, and Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu Metropolitan City should first seek a joint survival strategy rather than discussing administrative integration.”

The Andong City Council strongly opposes the administrative integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu that fosters confrontation and conflict, absolutely opposes the administrative integration that accelerates local extinction, calls on the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council to exercise voting rights reflecting the will of city and provincial residents to guarantee Gyeongbuk’s identity and the pride of its residents, and urges the National Assembly to oppose the administrative integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu that undermines the constitutional value of local autonomy and to respect balanced development and the value of local autonomy.

At the 1st plenary session of the 253rd Andong City Council extraordinary meeting held that day, all 18 members of the Andong City Council jointly proposed the ‘Resolution Opposing Administrative Integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu’ and plan to urge the suspension of the administrative integration promotion.

Kim Kyung-do, chairman of the Andong City Council, stated, “Administrative integration cannot be a solution to overcome the crisis of local extinction and is a measure that goes against regional balanced development,” adding, “It is inappropriate to discuss administrative district integration without completing the construction of the provincial office new town, and we hope the governor of Gyeongbuk and the mayor of Daegu immediately stop promoting administrative integration and devote all their efforts to saving the livelihoods that are in distress.”

The Andong City Council also announced a resolution opposing the administrative integration of Gyeongbuk and Daegu in June. Among the 18 council members of Andong City Council, 10 are from the People Power Party, 4 from the Democratic Party, and 4 are independents.