National Local Decentralization Association Resolves to Expedite Four Major Decentralization Bills at Gyeongbuk Meeting

Consensus Building on the Necessity and Direction of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration at Policy Forum

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongwook Park] Gyeongsangbuk-do and the National Council for Local Autonomy held the National Council for Local Autonomy Gyeongbuk Meeting and Policy Forum at the Hwabaekdang Hall of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office on the 15th, adopting a 'Resolution Urging' to legislate the guarantee of local autonomy and responsibility.

The Gyeongbuk meeting was attended by Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Ko Woo-hyun, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council; Kang Tae-jae, Jeong Won-sik, Jo Tae-young, and Kim Sun-hee, co-chairs of the National Council for Local Autonomy; Jeong Hae-geol, Chair of the Gyeongbuk Local Autonomy Council; members of the National Council for Local Autonomy; officials from the Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization; and related local autonomy officials, totaling about 90 participants.

The National Council for Local Autonomy, launched in February 2017 to support the realization of local autonomy and decentralization at the civilian level, is a federation comprising 96 local councils, including 17 metropolitan (cities and provinces) and 79 basic (cities, counties, and districts) councils, holding regional itinerant meetings.

Participants in the Gyeongbuk meeting evaluated that the 20th National Assembly's efforts for local autonomy were insufficient, as only the Local Government Transfer Act among the four major local autonomy bills passed the National Assembly. Accordingly, they adopted a resolution urging the 21st National Assembly to ▲ promptly process major local autonomy bills such as the complete revision of the Local Autonomy Act and the Police Act ▲ expedite the second phase of fiscal decentralization ▲ establish a special committee on local autonomy within the National Assembly ▲ constitutionally guarantee local autonomy through constitutional amendments to strengthen autonomous capabilities.

In the subsequent policy forum, Professor Lee Ki-woo of Inha University Law School delivered a keynote speech on 'Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration,' explaining the 1996 attempt to integrate Berlin City and Brandenburg State in Germany, emphasizing that "administrative integration must prioritize forming a consensus among residents."

He further suggested that "the special law should include a fully autonomous government with independent legislative and financial authority, like Catalonia in Spain and South Tyrol in Italy," presenting a direction for Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration. In the thematic presentation, Na Joong-gyu, Research Director at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Research Institute, proposed a basic plan for Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration. Na explained the necessity, vision, and promotion system of Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration through analysis of domestic and international regional integration cases such as France, Japan, and Jeju Island.

Following this, a heated discussion was held among decentralization committee members Kang Tae-jae (co-chair, Chungbuk), Kim Joong-seok (Gangwon), Lim Seong-su (Gyeongbuk), and Ha Se-heon (Daegu), chaired by Professor Ha Hye-su of Kyungpook National University (Head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Research Group).

Committee member Kim Joong-seok stated, "Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration is a decentralized metropolitan development that overcomes administrative inefficiencies caused by divided administration between cities and provinces and counters concentration in the metropolitan area," while committee member Ha Se-heon emphasized, "Through Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration, a powerful local government with a population of 5 million will emerge to check centralization and lead local autonomy."

At the forum, special attention was given to co-chair Kang Tae-jae, who was deeply involved in the integration of Cheongju and Cheongwon as the standing representative of the Cheongju-Cheongwon Unification Movement Headquarters and the Cheongwon-Cheongju Win-Win Development Committee. Drawing on the experience of the successful integrated Cheongju City after four attempts, he said, "Integration involves complex and intertwined interests, so unraveling each thread will not be easy," emphasizing that "holding regional itinerant briefings and forums and establishing an organic cooperation system with the central government and political circles are necessary."

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