Dpk Cheon Junho: "We Are Willing to Handle the Daejeon?South Chungcheong and Daegu?North Gyeongsang Integration Even Now"

Regrettable that the long-term national strategy is not proceeding smoothly
Forcing it through would be burdensome... administrative integration is about the rules

On the 24th, Cheon Junho, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for Parliamentary Affairs of the Democratic Party of Korea, said regarding the stalled discussions on administrative integration between Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, and between Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, "If the People Power Party is willing, even now, to engage in further discussions and reach an agreement on administrative integration, we are ready to actively join the talks and handle the matter within a short period of time."

Cheon stated at a press briefing held that afternoon at the National Assembly’s floor leader conference room, "At today’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting, deliberation on the special bill for administrative integration between Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, and between Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, was put on hold. Only the administrative integration of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, where there is no local opposition, was dealt with first," adding, "This is because the People Power Party’s heads of local governments and local councils, who are obsessed with holding on to their positions, took the lead in blocking it, and because the People Power Party leadership ultimately did not agree to it."

Chun Junho, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for Parliamentary Affairs of the Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap News

He said, "This is regrettable not only for Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province and for Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, but for the entire Republic of Korea," and added, "This concerns one aspect of national development related to the country’s long-term strategy for the next hundred years, so it is truly unfortunate that it is not proceeding smoothly."

He went on, "The mayor of Daejeon and the governor of South Chungcheong Province had declared that they would complete the integration before the local elections in the period leading up to the December 3 Rebellion, but now, with the local elections just ahead, they have flipped their stance as easily as turning over a palm." He continued, "The same goes for Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province," adding, "They had said nothing until now, and then suddenly yesterday, the Daegu Metropolitan Council issued a statement of opposition."

When asked by reporters whether Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, and Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, would be able to elect a unified metropolitan mayor in the June 3 local elections, Cheon replied, "Because there is still time remaining during the February extraordinary session, I hope the discussions can be resumed."

In response to a question on whether there were any plans to push through the administrative integration unilaterally under the leadership of the governing party, he drew a line, saying, "Administrative integration is, in effect, related to the rules themselves." He added, "It is a bill that is quite burdensome to push forward unilaterally in a situation where local councils and governors are opposed," and continued, "This does not mean we will not do it at all, but for now we are putting the deliberation on hold, and after taking another precise look at the local circumstances and going through procedures to confirm whether there is opposition or not, handling the bill then will help ensure it is pursued in a more stable manner."