'Limits of Hanppuri Win-Win' vs 'More Administrative Issues Arise' ... Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Public Debate Grows Increasingly 'Sharp'

Opening of the 2nd Online Debate 'Heated'... Panelists Engage in Hot Arguments for and Against

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongwook Park] "Since the separation of Daegu and Gyeongbuk in 1981, regional development has gradually declined. There are limits to one-root coexistence" (in favor) vs. "Even if integrated, the total financial volume will not change. More administrative costs will arise" (opposed)

On the afternoon of the 9th, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Public Deliberation Committee (co-chairmen Kim Tae-il and Ha Hye-su) held the '2nd Online Open Debate for Residents of the City and Province' at EXCO, which was enough to make people forget the 'Arctic cold wave' with the enthusiasm of the panelists and citizens for four hours.

Under the theme of 'Basic Plan and Issues of Administrative Integration,' about 360 regular participants and 2,700 irregular participants took part through various channels such as online video conferencing and YouTube broadcasts, showing strong interest. The first debate had about 2,000 participants.

The interests and issues of the residents shifted from the supply side, such as 'public deliberation procedures, city and province names, and location,' to the 'Daegu-Gyeongbuk Development Strategy.' The Public Deliberation Committee analyzed that this was the result of broadening consensus and understanding through the deliberation process regarding previously raised issues.

Regarding the 'Basic Concept and Issues of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration,' Choi Jae-won, head of the administrative integration basic plan research team, gave a keynote presentation, followed by a panel discussion led by Professor Kim Young-chul (Department of Economics, Keimyung University).

Professor Seo Jeong-hae (Department of Business Administration, Kyungpook National University) expressed a positive stance, saying, "I announced the Daegu-Gyeongbuk economic integration 15 years ago. Daegu and Gyeongbuk are regions that have driven industrialization and economic growth as one root, but since the separation in 1981, regional development has gradually declined. Although there has been one-root coexistence, there are limits. I hope administrative integration will be discussed considering choices, creativity, possibilities, and potential for regional development."

In response, Professor Kim Tae-woon (Department of Public Administration, Kyungpook National University) expressed concerns: "I believe the urban status will decline depending on the form of integration. Even if integrated, the total financial volume will not change, and population increase cannot be expected. Proponents argue for economies of scale, economic growth, cost reduction, and labor integration, but I have doubts. Secondly, regarding the special law, it is not desirable to discuss something that has not been realized. Various administrative cost issues will arise after integration."

In the second part, while 360 video discussion participants were divided into 30 groups for breakout discussions, Lee Jae-hyuk, representative of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Green Alliance, led expert discussions on key issues and fact-checking for YouTube participants.

Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Lee Sam-geol stated, "The central government encourages city and county integration but neither encourages nor finds effective the integration of provinces and metropolitan cities. Integration between Gyeongbuk and Daegu should not happen, but Andong and Yecheon should integrate," expressing a negative view. He added, "Integration should not be done emotionally, and even in the current state, what is needed can be sufficiently achieved through win-win strategies."

Separately from the main topic discussion, participant keyword extraction and deliberation tasks for the 3rd debate, titled 'Thinking about Future Tasks and Directions,' were discussed.

The interests raised were ① Regional (city, county, district) development strategy (53%) ② Changes in Daegu City's financial conditions (43%) ③ Possibility of securing administrative efficiency (resolving overlapping administration, etc.) (34%) ④ Enactment of special laws and special cases (31%) ⑤ Balanced development of northern Gyeongbuk Province (provincial government new town) (27%) ⑥ Fairness and limitations of the Public Deliberation Committee ⑦ Changes in Daegu City's status ⑧ Working conditions of city and provincial government officials ⑨ Location of the integrated government building ⑩ Changes in the location of the integrated government, in that order.

At the conclusion of the debate, co-chairman Kim Tae-il said, "Among the perspectives of Daegu-Gyeongbuk residents on administrative integration, the most important concerns were recognized as economic development and financial issues," adding, "We plan to expand these issues and discuss topics related to livelihood issues in the 3rd debate."

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