Jeon Gyeong-seon, Jeonnam Provincial Councilor, "Absolute Opposition to Blind Integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam"

Jeon Gyeong-seon, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jeon Gyeong-seon, Chairperson of the Operations Committee of the Jeonnam Provincial Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Mokpo 5), strongly opposed the blind integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam, stating, "It must never happen."

According to Chairperson Jeon on the 30th, the first supplementary budget proposal of Jeonnam Province, submitted for the 353rd session, 1st regular meeting of the Jeonnam Provincial Council to be held on the 2nd of next month, includes a budget for a research project related to the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam.

Chairperson Jeon argued, "The order of the process to promote the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam is wrong," and added, "Although this is a crucial matter that should consider all city and provincial residents and look toward the future of Honam, I cannot understand why there is such stinginess in forming a consensus for gathering opinions."

He continued, "While the alliance and solidarity between local governments to overcome the metropolitan area black hole and local extinction are necessary and I support them, it is clear that the most important public discussion process to solve these issues is still lacking, which is a problem," and criticized, "Re-submitting the research budget as a follow-up measure to the regret expressed in March this year over the suspension of Gwangju City's airport relocation discussion seems to be the impatience of current local leaders."

In particular, Chairperson Jeon emphasized, "The integration of city and province and the issue of military airport relocation are clearly separate matters."

He also pointed out, "Besides the two words 'city-province integration,' we need to reconsider what opinions we are trying to gather from local residents," and stated, "More important than the will and agreement of the city and provincial governors is the participation of local residents, and that is the best way to embody the vision and development direction of future Gwangju and Jeonnam."

He then warned, "I plan to thoroughly question Jeonnam Province about the research budget related to the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam included in this first supplementary budget," and added, "I will carefully examine it from the perspective of balanced development in the Honam region and the future of Gwangju and Jeonnam to prevent a rushed integration."

Meanwhile, the review of the supplementary budget proposal of the Jeonnam Provincial Government's Autonomous Administration Bureau, which includes 200 million KRW for the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration research project, is scheduled to take place at the Planning and Administration Committee of the Jeonnam Provincial Council on the 4th of next month.

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