Gyeongnam Governor Park Wansu: "Administrative Integration with Busan, the Will of City and Province Residents Is Most Important"

Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, is answering questions at a press conference. / Photo by Se-ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “The most important thing in promoting administrative integration with Busan is the will of the citizens of both cities and provinces.”

On the 18th, Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, emphasized the importance of residents' consent regarding administrative integration with Busan City at a press briefing.

Governor Park reported on the achievements of the provincial administration after 100 days in office and answered questions about future administrative plans.

On that day, Governor Park said, “Administrative integration with Busan does not end with an agreement between the governor and the mayor of Busan,” adding, “The key is what opinions the citizens of both cities and provinces express about the administrative integration.”

“If the residents agree, there is no reason not to carry out administrative integration in 2026,” he said, adding, “If necessary, a referendum should also be held.”

Governor Park explained, “The people of Gyeongnam think of the Special Union as the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) Megacity,” and added, “We need to inform them in detail about what the Special Union and administrative integration are, provide accurate data and information, and then allow them to judge what will benefit our province.”

He continued, “If residents’ opinions are collected through various methods and those opinions are positive, administrative integration could gain momentum.”

Regarding the name of the administrative integration and the location of the government office, he dismissed these as matters to be finally decided during the integration process.

“Looking at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration case, it will become a special province in some form, such as Busan-Gyeongnam Special Province, Gyeongnam Special Province, or Bu-Gyeong Special Province,” he said, adding, “Once a special law for administrative integration is enacted, decisions will be made accordingly.”

Regarding voices within the province about the suspended Bu-Ul-Gyeong Special Union, he analyzed that there may be some differences in stance depending on the region.

Governor Park said, “Opinions opposing the Special Union seem almost unanimous, but they may vary by region such as eastern or western areas,” and added, “Since the three governors agreed to suspend the Special Union, we will discuss administrative integration with the mayors and county heads within the province and proceed accordingly.”

Regarding the economic alliance that Bu-Ul-Gyeong decided to promote after dissolving the Special Union, he explained, “We agreed on the need for a minimum organization when the three provinces have joint tasks to perform.”

At the briefing, there was also a question about the Nakdong River basin drinking water supply system project, which was mentioned during the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee’s audit of Gyeongnam Province on the 14th.

During the audit, lawmakers from the Busan area requested clean water, saying, “Carcinogens have been detected in the Nakdong River, Busan’s only water intake source, and pollution accidents occur every year, resulting in grade 6 water quality that cannot even be used for industrial water in summer.”

The project involves developing Hapcheon Hwanggang return water and Changnyeong riverbank filtration water to supply Gyeongnam and Busan. It has drawn criticism for being pushed forward unilaterally without the consent of residents in the intake areas of Hapcheon and Changnyeong, and for lacking measures against flood damage and agricultural water shortages.

In response, Governor Park said, “Drinking clean water is also an important issue for the people of Gyeongnam,” and added, “We have proposed to the Ministry of Environment the formation of a public-private consultative body for this purpose.”

He also said, “Busan City should join the consultative body and respond jointly with Gyeongnam Province regarding compensation for damages in the water intake areas, and the six related cities and provinces should work together to improve the raw water quality of the Nakdong River.”

On that day, Governor Park said, “As I pass 100 days in office, the most important issue in our province is revitalizing the local economy,” and added, “We will revitalize shipbuilding, nuclear power, and defense industries, attract corporate investment, and add vitality to the economy.”

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