People Power Party’s Joo Hoyoung Blasts Democratic Party, His Own Party, and Daegu Council over TK Administrative Integration Delay

“Must Be Passed in This Session”

Joo Hoyoung, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the People Power Party (Daegu Suseong A District), criticized the postponement of the deliberation on the “Daegu-North Gyeongsang (TK) Administrative Integration Special Act” at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 24th, calling it “an outrage that tramples on the pride of Daegu and North Gyeongsang and directly denies the constitutional value of balanced development.”

In particular, Deputy Speaker Joo condemned the Democratic Party of Korea’s “regional discrimination,” while also sharply criticizing the lethargic leadership of the ruling party and local political circles that fell into internal strife at the last minute, effectively staking everything on getting the bill passed within this session.

Joo Hoyoung, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, People Power Party

In a statement released that day titled “We Cannot Block the Path of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Walking Together,” Deputy Speaker Joo directly attacked the Democratic Party, which had led the handling of the bill. He said, “The Democratic Party unilaterally passed the Jeonnam-Gwangju integration bill, while putting the Daegu-North Gyeongsang and Daejeon-South Chungcheong integration bills on hold,” adding, “Showering one side with a 20 trillion won support package and all kinds of special provisions, while blocking the other side with the flimsy excuse of ‘opposition from local governments,’ is clearly regional divide-and-rule and a despicable form of discrimination.”

Deputy Speaker Joo’s anger was directed not only outward but also inward. He held his own party accountable for giving the Democratic Party a “pretext” to postpone the bill. Addressing the party leadership, he said, “Can the leadership, which was built on the overwhelming support of Daegu and North Gyeongsang, really be this powerless when it comes to defending a bill on which the fate of the region depends?” and continued, “We must put an end to cowardly politics that, under pressure from the opposition’s offensive, offers up the region’s future as a bargaining chip.”

Above all, he criticized the actions of the Daegu Metropolitan Council and some local politicians, who caused discord at the decisive moment of the bill’s passage, calling them “lamentable.” He said, “I understand the intention to demand a more complete bill and to clarify issues of fiscal support and parliamentary seats, but did it really have to be shaken at this critical moment, after seven years of blood, sweat, and tears building up the painstaking edifice of integration?” He added, “By unnecessarily handing over the pretext that ‘even the internal situation has not been sorted out,’ it has ended up giving justification to those who want to delay integration.”

Deputy Speaker Joo then laid out specific directions for future action to secure the bill’s passage. His plan is to raise the future-industry provisions in the TK integration bill, which have now been watered down to declaratory language, and the basis for national funding of redevelopment of the former airport site, up to the same level as those for Gwangju and South Jeolla.

He promised, “We will use the structure of the support provisions granted to Gwangju and South Jeolla as a common standard for wide-area administrative integration, and we will make sure to incorporate equivalent articles with real effect for TK.” In addition, he presented a strategy to apply the same standards as other regions to the issue of support for areas surrounding military air bases, and to push through exemptions from preliminary feasibility studies and fiscal support by mobilizing every available means, including enforcement decrees and supplementary opinions.

Deputy Speaker Joo appealed, saying, “Administrative integration is the last survival strategy that will allow our children to realize their dreams without having to leave their hometowns in the face of the Seoul metropolitan area’s single-core dominance,” and added, “If we miss this train, there will be no next opportunity.” He continued, “We will overcome both the Democratic Party’s divide-and-rule tactics and the selfish interests of local politicians, correct regional disparities, and ensure that the integration bill is passed within this session.”