Governor Kim Taeheum: "Cheonan and Asan Must Grow Together... Cooperation Over Competition"

Chungnam Governor Kim Tae-heum expressed regret over the intense competition between Cheonan and Asan.

During the 2nd plenary session of the 356th regular meeting of the Chungnam Provincial Council held on the 26th, Governor Kim responded to People Power Party lawmaker Park Jeongsu's question regarding the 'Cheonan-Gongju private expressway project plan' by saying, "Cheonan and Asan are ultimately bound to develop into one large city someday, but the competition between them is fiercer than in other cities and counties."

He continued, "Cheonan and Asan are cities that will drive Korea's economic growth, so their co-development is an inevitable task. For this to happen, it is necessary to expand roads to ensure smooth transportation and logistics, and the Cheonan-Gongju Expressway will play that role," he emphasized.

Governor Kim stated, "From the mayor of Asan to members of the National Assembly, there are negative opinions about the expressway construction due to concerns that it will limit Asan's urban development. If we push ahead without resolving these conflicting opinions, it could escalate into a conflict between the two cities. Therefore, we will seek a solution through consultations so that both cities can be satisfied," he said.

Regarding the recent backlash from Cheonan citizens over the approval for Asan FC to use Cheonan Sports Complex for the K League promotion/relegation match, he explained, "As the Asan stadium is under renovation, I requested the Cheonan mayor to allow the match to be held in neighboring Cheonan rather than another city or province. However, the backlash seems strong due to the intense competition between the two cities. I urge the provincial and national lawmakers from both Cheonan and Asan to work together for the joint development of both cities," he requested.