Gwangju City, Office of Education, Council, and Districts to Hold Public Hearings on Administrative Integration

Touring Five Districts from January 19 to Gather Citizens’ Opinions
Explaining Integration Direction and Special Law Issues, Addressing Public Questions

The Gwangju City Government, the City Office of Education, the City Council, the five district offices, and the district councils will jointly gather public opinions on the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. This initiative aims to broaden understanding and build consensus regarding the administrative integration process.

Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall. Photo by Song Bohyun

On January 15, Gwangju City announced that it will hold a total of five ‘Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration Regional Joint Public Hearings’ in each district from January 19 to 28. The first hearing will be held in Dong-gu on January 19, followed by Seo-gu, Gwangsan-gu, Buk-gu, and Nam-gu in that order.

This series of joint public hearings was prompted by a consensus on the need to expand citizen participation, reached during a meeting between the Gwangju mayor and the five district heads on January 13, as well as a four-party consultative meeting on January 14 involving Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, the City Office of Education, and the Provincial Office of Education. The intention is to institutionalize the reflection of citizens’ opinions in the administrative integration discussion process.

The public hearings will be held in a rotating format across the districts. The schedule is as follows: ▲ January 19 in Dong-gu (Main Conference Room of Dong-gu Office) ▲ January 22 in Seo-gu (Seobitmaru Culture & Arts Center) ▲ January 23 in Gwangsan-gu (Yoon Sangwon Hall, Gwangsan-gu Office) ▲ January 27 in Buk-gu (Buk-gu Cultural Center) ▲ January 28 in Nam-gu (Bitgoeul Citizens’ Culture Center).

Any citizen interested in administrative integration-including members of residents’ self-governing committees, neighborhood leaders, officials from organizations and social groups, experts in various fields, and education professionals-may participate in each hearing. Advance registration is available through QR codes posted on the websites of Gwangju City, the City Office of Education, and the district offices. During the registration process, participants may submit questions or opinions related to administrative integration, which will be addressed through explanations or discussions at the hearings.

Each public hearing will accommodate approximately 400 to 500 citizens. Gwangju City plans to ensure that at least 30% of participants are from the younger generation, so that opinions from various generations and social groups can be collected in a balanced manner.

At the hearings, the city will explain the progress and key details of the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration initiative, as well as the future schedule. Through open Q&A sessions, citizens’ questions regarding changes to their living environment, the structure of local governance, and the overall impact on education and administrative services will be addressed.

Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju, stated, “The administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam is a critical issue directly linked to the region’s future competitiveness,” adding, “We will faithfully reflect the citizens’ opinions gathered through these regional public hearings in the ongoing integration discussions and policy design process.”