Gwangju-Jeonnam Grand Integration Gains Momentum... Undisclosed Survey Prioritizes "Conflict Resolution"

2022 Jeonnam Expert and Resident Survey
"Resolving Conflicts Takes Priority Over Justifying Administrative Integration"

Jeollanam-do and Gwangju City declared on the 2nd, at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery, to immediately promote the grand unification of the two cities and provinces to open a new chapter of great revival for Gwangju and Jeonnam in front of the May spirits, the symbol of Korea's democratization, welcoming the new year of Byeongo.

As the push for administrative integration between Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeollanam-do draws nationwide attention, there is also growing interest in the results of an administrative integration survey conducted in 2022 by the Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute, which at the time remained undisclosed.

The Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute (now separated into the Gwangju Research Institute and the Jeonnam Research Institute) conducted expert and local resident opinion and survey polls on "Economic and Administrative Integration of Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province" in June, from August 16 to September 15, and again in November to December 2022, both online and offline.

In the expert survey conducted in June, 100 experts from both inside and outside Gwangju and Jeonnam participated via an online questionnaire.

Regarding the timing for promoting administrative integration between Gwangju and Jeonnam, 46% responded "the sooner, the better," 28% said "after considering the progress in other regions," and 26% answered "after all legal and institutional requirements are fully in place."

On the "need for promotion," 46% responded "high" and 24% "very high," meaning that 7 out of 10 experts agreed on the necessity.

Assuming administrative integration, more than half of the experts identified "mediation of conflicts between local governments (26.5%)" and "adjustment and reorganization of administrative districts (24%)" as the most urgent areas to address.

From August to September, a survey was conducted targeting 2,000 residents of the city and province.

When asked about the most urgent areas to address under the premise of administrative integration, 20.6% of respondents cited "mediation of conflicts between local governments." This was followed by "adjustment and reorganization of administrative districts (18.9%)" and "establishment of an integrated transportation system (17.5%)."

In another survey conducted between November and December with 2,013 city and provincial residents, respondents identified "local parochialism that prioritizes one's own region (33.5%)" as the main limiting factor for mutual cooperation between the city and province.

Although there were some differences in the questions and answers, there was a strong awareness that fundamentally, resolving "conflict mitigation" between the two regions is crucial.

Meanwhile, Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam, declared the grand unification of the city and province together with Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju, at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery on January 2, stating, "Now is the optimal time for the grand unification of Gwangju and Jeonnam, as President Lee Jaemyung is strongly committed to bold support for the integrated local government and the government is promising unprecedented incentives. If we miss this opportunity, there is no guarantee when such conditions will come again, so let us join forces to ensure the success of administrative integration, the greatest long-cherished wish of Gwangju and Jeonnam."