"Special Act on Daejeon-South Chungcheong Administrative Integration" Aims for Passage by March Next Year

"Relocating the Presidential Office and National Assembly to Sejong During President Lee Jaemyung's Term"
Unified Mayor to Be Elected for Daejeon and South Chungcheong...
Possible to Elect Superintendents from Both Sides

Jung Hyun Park, Chairman of the Democratic Party Daejeon City Committee (Photo by Yonhap News)

Jung Hyun Park, Chairman of the Democratic Party Daejeon City Committee, stated on the 22nd, "Through the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong, we will open the door to President Lee Jaemyung's national agenda of 'Five Megaregions and Three Special Zones,' and Sejong will become the administrative capital."

Chairman Park held a press conference at the Daejeon City Council press room that day, where he presented the roadmap for promoting the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong and made these remarks.

He said, "Since the heads of local governments affiliated with the People Power Party have been discussing administrative integration since last year, a certain level of public opinion has already formed. It would be ideal to include North Chungcheong as well, but since there is no consensus, it is not easy. Sejong, as the administrative capital, holds a different status."

He continued, "The goal is to relocate the presidential office and the National Assembly to Sejong during President Lee Jaemyung's term, and to sequentially move the Supreme Court and five ministries currently located in Seoul and the metropolitan area. For issues blocked by customary constitutional law, we believe they can be resolved by enacting a special law, and we plan to first relocate the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to pave the way."

The Democratic Party plans to take the lead in sponsoring its own special law, pass it by March next year, and, according to that law, elect a unified mayor for Daejeon and South Chungcheong in the local elections next year.

Regarding the "Special Act on the Establishment of Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City and Creation of an Economic and Science Capital," which was sponsored by Assemblyman Sung Iljong of the People Power Party and is currently pending in the National Assembly, Park said, "That bill is like a fancy gift set that looks good but has nothing substantial inside, so it is difficult to make it properly." He added, "We will prepare a bill that includes the maximum possible special provisions and screens the parts where authority can be transferred from the Office for Government Policy Coordination."

On the name of the integrated metropolitan government of Daejeon and South Chungcheong, he said, "Whether it will be 'Daechung City' or 'Chungdae City' will be decided during the discussion process, but a new name could also be created." He explained, "In the case of the government complex, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province failed to integrate after debating where to locate it, but since the president is a pragmatist, he suggested using both locations."

Regarding the superintendent of education, whose electoral district will change, he said, "Since administrative integration and education could be different, it is possible to elect superintendents from both sides." He emphasized, "As we are taking a new path, we will strive to include various concerns and challenges to be addressed in the bill."

Addressing concerns that budget allocation might be concentrated in specific areas, he said, "I understand there are worries that, if grouped into a metropolitan area, support will be focused on cities while undesirable facilities will be sent to outlying areas. We will also reflect how to address the issues of marginalized regions."

In response to criticism that the integration is being pushed as a foregone conclusion and at a rapid pace, he said, "As seen in the cases of integration attempts in Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang and Daegu-North Gyeongsang, taking more time does not guarantee success. There is already national consensus for balanced growth in Daejeon and South Chungcheong, and the president's strong will is to resolve this issue by leveraging the major event of next year's election."

To this end, the Democratic Party has formed the "Special Committee on Integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong and Development of the Chungcheong Region" (Chungcheong Special Committee), appointing Hwang Myungseon as the standing chair and Park Beomgye, Lee Jeongmoon, and Jung Hyun Park as co-chairs. Experts in urban planning and administration will be appointed as advisory members, with the first meeting planned to take place as early as the 24th following the appointment ceremony.