Ruling Party Races to Pass Special Act After President Lee's Remarks
Song Eon-seok: "Presidential Office Trying to Dilute Issue... Internal Task Force Underway"
Fierce Competition for Integrated Leadership Roles
All Eyes on Kang Hoon-sik's Potential Candidacy
As discussions on the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province accelerate, a major shift is also emerging in the landscape of next year's local elections. Although both the ruling and opposition parties have expressed their support for the integration, behind the scenes, they are carefully calculating the political pros and cons and struggling to devise election strategies. The People Power Party, which initially took the lead in driving the integration talks, is determined to retain control over the Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City, but some voices say it will not be easy if the Democratic Party puts forward Kang Hoon-sik, the Chief Presidential Secretary.
Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae and floor leader Kim Byung-ki are whispering during the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News
According to political sources on December 19, the Democratic Party is forming a Daejeon-South Chungcheong Administrative Integration Task Force centered on its lawmakers from the region. The party is considering introducing a "Special Act on the Establishment of Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City" in January next year and pushing for its passage in February, aiming for a rapid process. The presidential office and the ruling party have reportedly set a policy that the legislative process must be completed no later than March next year in order to elect an integrated head of the local government in the upcoming local elections.
However, conflicts of interest between regions and political parties are being cited as variables. Debates are expected over the name of the integrated entity, the distribution of powers, and regional incentives. In particular, since Song Il-jong of the People Power Party, together with 44 party lawmakers, introduced a "Special Act on the Establishment of Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City and the Creation of an Economic and Science Capital" last September, a future struggle for leadership between the ruling and opposition parties is anticipated. Song Eon-seok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, told reporters on this day, "I suspect that the presidential office initiated (the integration discussion) as a countermeasure because it was envious that the People Power Party was leading the process," adding, "We are in the process of establishing an internal task force (TF) to accelerate the integration."
Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party (center), is speaking about the Supreme Court's dedicated trial team promotion and the Democratic Party's forced enactment of the Special Dedicated Trial Team Act for Treason at the floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News
Daejeon and South Chungcheong are representative swing regions, so it is difficult to predict which party will benefit from the integration. Since the launch of the local self-government system in 1995, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party have alternated victories. The Democratic Party believes that if the integration proceeds smoothly with full support from the government and the ruling party, it could regain control of South Chungcheong, which is currently held by the People Power Party. Within the ruling party, former Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung and lawmakers Park Beom-gye, Jang Jong-tae, and Jang Cheol-min are being mentioned as potential candidates for Daejeon mayor, while Kang Hoon-sik, lawmakers Moon Jin-seok and Park Soo-hyun, and former governor Yang Seung-jo are being discussed as possible candidates for South Chungcheong governor.
The People Power Party, which has been proactive about integration, also believes it is not at a disadvantage. Incumbents Lee Jang-woo, the mayor of Daejeon, and Kim Tae-heum, the governor of South Chungcheong, are expected to compete as candidates in next year's local elections. However, in last year's general election, the Democratic Party won 15 out of 18 seats in Daejeon and South Chungcheong, and the party also lagged behind the Democratic Party in voter turnout in this year's presidential election. A member of the People Power Party leadership said, "If the integration happens, we expect the Democratic Party to nominate Kang Hoon-sik as its candidate," adding, "There are also opinions that it will not be easy to retain our position."
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