Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration, Public Forum for Citizen Participation to Be Held

New Gwangju Forum to Hold Town Hall Meeting at Gwangju Metropolitan Council on January 13
Public Discussion on Timeline and Tasks for Administrative Integration with Citizens

A public forum will be held to examine the direction and implementation tasks of the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration from the perspective of citizens.

The New Gwangju Forum announced on January 11 that it will hold its first town hall meeting under the theme "Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration: Asking the Path Together with Residents!" The event will take place in the first-floor lobby of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on January 13.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong (left) and Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok are posing for a commemorative photo after announcing the "Joint Statement for the Launch of Metropolitan Local Governments" at the Gwangju Kim Daejung Convention Center on the 9th. Photo by Song Bohyun

This event was organized following President Lee Jaemyung's decision to pursue the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration. It aims to assess the direction and pace of integration from the citizens' viewpoint and to seek supplementary measures and social consensus needed during implementation. The discussion will focus on how the integration will actually function in the daily lives of citizens after the administrative decision.

The event will be moderated by Hong Inhwa, head of the New Gwangju Forum. The keynote speeches will be delivered by National Assemblyman Shin Jeonghun and Moon In, Mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju, who will present the policy significance and future direction of the administrative integration. This will be followed by a public discussion featuring Shin Sujeong, Chairperson of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council, Choi Hyungsik, former Mayor of Damyang County, and Park Jaeman, Co-Representative of Participation Autonomy 21.

The discussion will address key issues after integration, focusing on: the timeline and step-by-step tasks for administrative integration; directions for improving administrative efficiency and restructuring the fiscal system; prospects for changes in education, welfare, and industry; and ways to ensure procedural legitimacy through resident participation.

After the discussion, a Q&A session with residents will be held to gather diverse opinions, which will then be used to draft a consensus statement. This statement will be officially delivered to Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, the National Assembly, and the central government, and will serve as a reference for the future administrative integration process.

Hong Inhwa, head of the forum, stated, "After the decision to pursue administrative integration, what matters most is not speed, but the degree to which citizens feel the process is complete. I hope this town hall meeting will serve as an opportunity to move beyond conflicts surrounding integration, bringing together the wisdom of residents to refine the direction of implementation."