Busan-Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Public Discussion Begins, 1st Debate Held

February 27, 2 PM at Gyeongnam Provincial Office, Busan-Gyeongnam Joint Hosting

Discussion on Promotion Direction, Industry, Economy, and Employment Expected Effects

Experts and Citizens from Various Fields Foster Understanding and Engage in

Busan City will hold the "1st Busan-Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Forum" at 2 p.m. on the 27th in the new building auditorium of the Gyeongnam Provincial Government to promote understanding and gather public opinion on the administrative integration of Busan and Gyeongnam.

Notice of the 1st Discussion on the Administrative Integration of Busan and Gyeongnam.

At this forum, Minji Ha, a research fellow at the Gyeongnam Research Institute, will deliver a keynote speech on "The Direction for the Future of Busan-Gyeongnam Administrative Integration," followed by Songnyeon Kim, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, who will speak on "Expected Economic, Industrial, and Employment Effects of Promoting Busan-Gyeongnam Administrative Integration."

Subsequently, Professor Kyunghoon Park of Changwon National University will serve as the moderator, with panelists including Gisu Woo, a member of the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly; Jaewoon Shim, Head of Economic Policy at the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Woobae Lee, Professor Emeritus of Police and Public Administration at Inje University; and Hongsang Jeong, Professor of Public Administration at Kyungpook National University. Through the discussion, they aim to foster understanding of administrative integration and explore directions for its promotion.

Starting with this first forum, Busan City and Gyeongnam Province plan to continue the series of discussions by holding forums in Busan on the 15th and in Jinju on the 24th of next month. These forums will listen to opinions from experts in various fields and gather feedback from residents, and any interested citizens from both regions are welcome to participate.

Lee Su-il, Director of the Administrative Autonomy Bureau of Busan City, stated, "The solidarity and cooperation between Busan and Gyeongnam, which share the same historical background and identity, can serve as a focal point for balanced regional development as a second metropolitan area, and administrative integration could be one solution."

He added, "However, above all, fostering understanding and building consensus among residents is most important in this process. I hope the upcoming forums will be valuable opportunities to discuss the pros and cons and expected effects of administrative integration with experts from various fields and residents, and to listen to their opinions."

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