Gyeongnam Province: "Special Union, an Empty Shell"... Declaration to Promote Administrative Integration of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam

Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, presenting the administrative integration plan for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. / Photo by Ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “Administrative integration of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) is a path we must take.”

Gyeongsangnam-do reiterated its determination to promote the administrative integration plan instead of the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union.

On the 22nd, Gyeongnam Province stated, “We have carefully reviewed the effectiveness of the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union from the perspective of Gyeongnam Province and its residents for national balanced development, which is the spirit of the times and a key task of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.”

According to the research results from the Gyeongnam Research Institute, the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union promoted by the 7th elected Gyeongnam Province concluded that it does not help the development of Gyeongnam and may accelerate the crisis of regional extinction.

Earlier, Gyeongnam Province described the Special Union as a “useless superstructure” and pointed out that the current related laws only provide the basis for establishing the Special Union but lack substantive content.

It is essentially a fa?ade without substantial elements such as financial support exceptions for joint affairs or authority transfer.

On the 19th, Governor Park Wan-su proposed administrative integration, saying, “The Special Union has no practical benefit without grounds for financial support or delegation of national affairs.”

The province said, “There is no reason to build a separate government office and spend 16.1 billion KRW of taxpayers’ money annually to respond through 147 public officials for projects that the three local governments can pursue individually.”

Gyeongnam Province also explained that if the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union is promoted, most of the 18 cities and counties in Gyeongnam except for 2 to 3 areas will be marginalized.

“Even for some infrastructure projects that require joint response by the three local governments, only linked projects among the three provinces are possible according to the regulations,” it said.

It forecasted that if Gyeongnam Province concentrates its financial resources on this project, only 2 to 3 counties adjacent to Busan and Ulsan among the 18 cities and counties in Gyeongnam will benefit from the project in a limited way, while most of the Gyeongnam region, including Western Gyeongnam, will be marginalized or fall behind.

Gyeongnam Province predicted that the Special Union would have an adverse effect on strengthening Gyeongnam’s 4th industrial competitiveness and upgrading the structure of existing industries.

Investment would be concentrated in Busan, which is rich in digital, advanced industries, and human resources related to research and development, and there is a high possibility of a vicious cycle where talented people from Gyeongnam flow back to Busan.

As a result, Gyeongnam would be left with only low- to mid-level manufacturing industries, making technological advancement difficult, it expressed concern.

A provincial official criticized, “The method of handling joint affairs by maintaining the constituent local governments through the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union and cooperating only on some projects in adjacent areas will cause conflicts between regions and ultimately have a negative impact on Gyeongnam’s development.”

Gyeongnam Province declared that it would skip the process of the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union, which lacks substance and practical benefits, and promote administrative integration.

The province appealed, “Busan and Ulsan were originally part of Gyeongnam Province under one roof. During the period of intensive industrialization in the past, it was advantageous to survive independently by utilizing each region’s characteristics, but in the face of the comprehensive crisis of rapid population decline, industrial structural changes and decline, and regional extinction in Bu-Ul-Gyeong today, we must get back on the same boat.”

“Through administrative integration, we must build a bipolar system with a population of 8 million and a GRDP of 272 trillion KRW, achieving competitiveness comparable to Seoul and other metropolitan areas, rather than a unipolar metropolitan system,” it added.

The province emphasized, “Promoting administrative integration is a difficult and challenging path, but it is a path that Bu-Ul-Gyeong must take. Gyeongnam Province will take the lead on that path.”

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