Overwhelming Public Opinion in Daejeon: 71.6% Say a Referendum Is Needed on Administrative Integration

Administrative Integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province:
'Opposition' 41.5%, 'Support' 33.7%, Opposition Leads


Lee Jangwoo: "An 'empty shell integration' without the transfer of substantial autonomy and fiscal authority"


"A hasty integration that amounts to only a few years of temporary special measures... fuels regional conflict and undermines the purpose of integration"

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

On the morning of the 23rd at 10:00 a.m., Daejeon Mayor Lee Jangwoo held an emergency press conference in the briefing room at City Hall and stated, "Regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, 71.6% of Daejeon citizens responded that a 'referendum' is necessary," adding, "Since the majority of citizens are demanding it, it is essential to hold a referendum during the process of pursuing administrative integration in order to directly confirm the public will."

This public opinion survey was conducted by Daejeon City to gauge citizens' perceptions and demands regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province. As a result, 71.6% of Daejeon citizens responded that a 'referendum' is necessary, and when asked about administrative integration itself, 'opposition (41.5%)' exceeded 'support (33.7%)'.

Photo by Daejeon City

In response to the question about the necessity of a referendum, Daejeon citizens answered 'strongly necessary' at 49.6% and 'necessary' at 22.0%. The city analyzed this as showing that citizens recognize the importance of securing democratic legitimacy through direct participation of residents in the process of promoting administrative integration.

Photo by Daejeon City

As for the administrative integration being pushed forward with the goal of launching on July 1 this year, following the decision of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 12th, opposition outweighed support. 'Opposition' stood at 41.5%, while 'support' was 33.7%.

By region, the opposition rate was higher in Yuseong District (46.6%) and Seo District (43.6%). By age group, opposition responses were relatively high among those in their 30s (53.4%) and those aged 18 to 29 (51.1%).

Among the reasons for opposing administrative integration, 'intensification of conflict between regions' was the most cited at 29.4%, followed by 'insufficient procedures for collecting residents' opinions' at 26.7% and 'undermining Daejeon's identity' at 15.7%.

On the other hand, respondents who supported integration cited 'administrative efficiency' at 46.4%, 'resolving the capital area-centered unipolar structure' at 25.3%, and 'improving residents' convenience' at 15.7% as their reasons for support.

Photo by Daejeon City

Regarding the timing of integration, 'pursue after long-term review of five years or more' was the most common response at 38.4%, followed by 'launch in two years' at 26.5% and 'launch this July' at 25.7%. The city interpreted this as reflecting the perception that, rather than speed, there should be a certain preparation period to allow for sufficient discussion and institutional improvements.

Mayor Lee Jangwoo said, "As administrative integration is being pushed forward unreasonably without procedural legitimacy, many problems are arising," adding, "Unnecessary resident resistance and internal regional conflicts are emerging, and this has been confirmed through the public opinion survey."

Mayor Lee stressed, "A hasty integration that ends up as an 'empty shell integration' without the transfer of substantial autonomy and fiscal authority, and that is limited to only a few years of temporary special measures, can instead exacerbate regional conflicts and undermine the purpose of integration," adding, "Since the majority of citizens are demanding it, it is absolutely necessary to hold a referendum in the process of promoting administrative integration to directly confirm the public will."

Meanwhile, reflecting citizens' opinions collected through the 'Resolution urging the implementation of a referendum on the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province' adopted at the temporary session of the Daejeon City Council and through town hall meetings, the city proposed to the central government on the 11th that a referendum be held. However, it has not yet received a reply from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

This survey was commissioned to polling agency Realmeter and conducted from the 20th to the 22nd, targeting 2,153 citizens aged 18 or older residing in Daejeon City, using online and telephone (automated response ARS) methods. The margin of error is ±2.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.