Assemblyman Ju Cheolhyun: "Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration Must Be Decided by Residents"

Supports Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration at January 7 Press Conference
Calls for Referendum Process to Minimize Future Conflicts

On the 7th, Congressman Ju Cheolhyun held a press conference at the briefing room of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, clearly stating that a referendum should be held regarding the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. Photo by Shim Jinseok

Ju Cheolhyun, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Yeosu-gap, Jeonnam), has expressed his support for the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. However, he set a prerequisite that a referendum must be held before any administrative integration takes place.

On January 7, Assemblyman Ju held a press conference at the briefing room of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, stating, "Mayors, provincial governors, members of the National Assembly, and provincial council members are merely representatives entrusted with authority by the people of the region, and the decision to integrate should be made by the sovereign people themselves. It is important to minimize conflicts after the integration."

He added, "Gwangju and Jeonnam are standing at the threshold of overcoming the crisis of population decline and regional extinction, and seeking a new leap forward. The administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam is now an inevitable mission of our time to break the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area and usher in an era of livable local regions."

He continued, "The unification of Gwangju and Jeonnam goes beyond simply merging administrative districts; it is about laying the foundation for fair growth pursued by the Lee Jaemyung administration. However, the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam must be completed through a referendum, which is the practice of popular sovereignty."

Assemblyman Ju said, "The history of the 'Three-ryeo Integration,' which combined Yeosu City, Yeocheon City, and Yeocheon County, proves this point. Although two government-led attempts at integration failed, the 'nation's first resident-initiated integration,' achieved when residents themselves stood up and voted, led to the miraculous success of the 2012 Yeosu World Expo and Yeosu's rise as a key city on the southern coast."

He further emphasized, "For Gwangju and Jeonnam as well, in order to minimize conflicts after integration and maximize the synergy of administrative integration by building public consensus, it is necessary to have sufficient deliberation and consent procedures that fully reflect the opinions of residents."