People Power Party TK Lawmakers and Local Leaders: "Ruling Party's Regional Discrimination... Pass the Special Act"

"Consensus Reached by Local Political Circles and People Power Party...
Should Not Be Used as a Political Tool"

On March 3, members of the National Assembly, metropolitan mayors, and chairs of metropolitan councils from the Daegu and North Gyeongsang (TK) region belonging to the People Power Party stated, "The Democratic Party of Korea must stop deceiving the TK region," and demanded, "An immediate meeting of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee should be convened to submit the special bill on TK administrative integration and pass it through the plenary session."

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that afternoon, they asserted, "Using the nation's long-term vision as a political tool is not the conduct expected of a responsible National Assembly." The press conference was attended by local lawmakers Yoon Jaeok, Kim Sanghoon, Kim Seokki, Kim Jeongjae, Lee Manhee, Chu Kyungho, Kang Daesik, Koo Jageun, Kwon Youngjin, Lee Inseon, and Kim Seungsoo, along with Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Mangyu, Chair of the Daegu Metropolitan Council, and Park Seongman, Chair of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Council.

Yonhap News Agency

They criticized the Democratic Party for "using the lack of sufficient agreement regarding TK integration as a pretext to keep the special bill tied up in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which is a clear distortion of the facts." They emphasized, "Daegu and North Gyeongsang have repeatedly expressed their commitment to integration, local politicians have reached a consensus, and the People Power Party has already adopted this as its official party platform."

Furthermore, regarding the Democratic Party's acceleration of the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration special bill, they said, "This is blatant regional discrimination," and added, "Such an attitude, which denies confirmed agreements, is an act of dividing the regions, and the political leadership must be held accountable for it."

After the press conference, Lee Inseon, a member of the National Assembly and head of the Daegu city party committee, told reporters that the Democratic Party is attempting to link TK integration with the Daejeon-Chungnam integration, but pointed out, "The mayors, governors, and councils of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province are opposed to integration, so it is not appropriate to tie this to TK."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.