Government and Ruling Party Accelerate Daejeon-Chungnam Integration Talks: "Substance, Speed, and Determination Are Crucial"

Kim Minseok: "The Beginning of Change for Korea"
Discussions Include Educational Autonomy and Healthcare

Prime Minister Kim Minseok emphasized on January 13 that "substance, speed, and determination are crucial" regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and Chungnam.

Attending a meeting of Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers from the Chungnam and Daejeon regions, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building that day, Prime Minister Kim stressed the necessity of administrative integration, saying, "The beginning of change in the Republic of Korea will start from Daejeon and Chungnam, Chungnam and Daejeon."

He explained, "The significance of the integrated Chungcheong region is truly great," adding, "First, there must be substance, and if the direction is right, we need to proceed with speed and lead with determination."

He further added that a session will soon be arranged to directly explain the direction of the Daejeon-Chungnam administrative integration to the public.

Prime Minister Kim Minseok (second from the left in the bottom row) is smiling while taking a commemorative photo with members of the National Assembly at the Democratic Party of Korea's meeting for the integration of Chungnam and Daejeon, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Park Junghyun, a Democratic Party lawmaker (Daejeon Daedeok), met with reporters after the meeting and said, "We once again confirmed that the integration of Daejeon and Chungnam will mark the beginning of a great leap forward for Korea through balanced growth." She continued, "There was consensus that both Daejeon and Chungnam must be included, and we discussed that the name could be decided through a public opinion survey of citizens."

Regarding education and healthcare issues, she said, "There was agreement that integration must be pursued in a way that does not undermine educational autonomy," and added, "We also requested that medical services in Daejeon and Chungnam be expanded to the level of the Seoul metropolitan area, to which Prime Minister Kim responded that he would give it serious consideration."

The possibility of reviewing and accepting the special law proposed by the People Power Party was also mentioned. Hwang Myungseon, Democratic Party Special Committee Chair for Chungcheong Development and lawmaker (Nonsan, Gyeryong, Geumsan in Chungnam), stated, "The bills proposed by both sides in the National Assembly should be thoroughly reviewed and reflected as much as possible, and any shortcomings can be supplemented." He added, "The core focus should be on ensuring that the integration of Daejeon and Chungnam, Chungnam and Daejeon, leads to transformative changes in the lives of integrated citizens."

He went on to emphasize, "Political offensives that only serve to hinder progress must stop," and said, "Lawmakers should discuss the various bills being proposed and work toward creating the optimal solution."