Lee Jangwoo: "Organizational, Financial, and High-Level Local Autonomy Must Be Transferred in Daejeon-South Chungcheong Integration"

Donghyuk Jang, Leader of the People Power Party:
"The Core of Daejeon-South Chungcheong Integration Is the Realization of Genuine Local Autonomy"

From the left, Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jangwoo, mayor of Daejeon (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

Daejeon Mayor Jangwoo Lee stated, "If Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province are administratively integrated, the central government must transfer organizational authority, financial authority, and a high degree of local autonomy to the region."

Mayor Lee made these remarks during a meeting with Donghyuk Jang, leader of the People Power Party, who visited Daejeon City Hall at 9 a.m. on January 14.

He explained the background of the integration, saying, "Regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, I felt it would be possible if Governor Kim Taeheum of South Chungcheong Province and I worked together when we were most in sync. So, we set aside our political vested interests and formed a public-private consultative body on both sides to move forward."

He continued, "Our biggest concern regarding the special bill for the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province is that the Democratic Party may introduce a new bill, which could undermine the 257 special provisions for local autonomy that we have proposed."

Mayor Lee also criticized, "Last time, the Democratic Party proposed 'Chungcheong Special City' as the name for the integrated region, but the term 'Chungcheong' originally comes from combining the first syllables of Chungju and Cheongju. If Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province are integrated and called Chungcheong Special City, what does that mean for the citizens of Daejeon, who have built a great city for 120 years, or for the residents of North Chungcheong Province? It makes no sense."

He added, "If the agreement to name it Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City is undermined, we will have no choice but to ask the citizens. It is important to protect the identity of Daejeon and South Chungcheong. When the two regions are integrated, the central government must transfer organizational authority, financial authority, and a high degree of local autonomy to the region."

With the upcoming June 3 local elections in mind, Mayor Lee said, "As someone responsible for local government, I believe the party should appoint more young talent. I hope that elected local council members and heads of local governments participating in local government will become younger. I hope the party will design such institutional frameworks well."

Mayor Lee also expressed his support for Donghyuk Jang.

He said, "I hope Representative Donghyuk Jang will lead the party firmly and, when the country faces a crisis, demonstrate the spirit of Chungcheong. I am cheering for him. I hope the party will unite around Representative Jang and overcome challenges. We in the Chungcheong region will also do our best to support and encourage him," he said.

Photo by Mo Seokbong

Representative Donghyuk Jang listened attentively to Mayor Jangwoo Lee's remarks and expressed deep agreement.

Jang, leader of the People Power Party, stated, "The reason Mayor Jangwoo Lee and Governor Kim Taeheum began discussing the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province is because, to address the issues of regional extinction, the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area, and balanced national development, the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong is essential. This effort aims to serve as a proper model that can be expanded nationwide to achieve genuine local autonomy."

He continued, "Although we say we have local autonomy, too much authority still remains with the central government, so true local governance has not been realized."

He added, "For the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province to achieve genuine local autonomy, not only must the 257 special provisions be preserved, but it is also important for both the President and the Democratic Party to demonstrate sincerity. If there is real commitment, the bill should include 260, 270, or even more special provisions, and that would show true sincerity from both the President and the ruling party."

Jang also said, "With the local elections approaching, the idea of simply electing one person first and thinking about the rest later is nothing more than political trickery, as has been done by the Democratic Party so far. As Mayor Jangwoo Lee strongly stated, the core of the Daejeon-South Chungcheong integration is the realization of genuine local autonomy."

He emphasized, "I believe the 257 special provisions must be fully preserved in the law. The integration discussion should not become a hollow formality, but rather must embody real substance to achieve true local autonomy."

He concluded, "In particular, I hope that the integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province will become a successful model for genuine local autonomy, addressing the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area and achieving balanced national development. Although local autonomy has been in place for a long time, true local autonomy has not yet been achieved. The party will remain steadfast and provide active support, and we will work together in this direction."