"If Gimpo is incorporated into Seoul, it will become a single district office... enabling collaborative projects"

Professor Kim Gap-sung of Yonsei University Department of Urban Engineering YTN Interview
"Gimpo's Incorporation into Seoul Differs from Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam... It's Fresh"

Professor Kim Gap-seong of Yonsei University's Department of Urban Engineering said about the 'Mega City Seoul' concept, "(With the incorporation of Gimpo into Seoul) a breakthrough has been made, and if it becomes a center not only for the metropolitan area but also for Gwangju, Busan, and Daegu, it is expected that the centrality of the metropolitan area will be somewhat more dispersed."

On the 3rd, Professor Kim appeared on YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' and said, "While researching ways to strengthen the country's urban competitiveness and achieve balanced regional development together, one alternative we proposed was a development plan for metropolitan areas centered on the living zones where we reside, that is, integrated commuting zones."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Kim explained, "The plan is centered on seven or ten major cities nationwide," adding, "Seoul is the same; it forms one metropolitan area together with neighboring cities like Goyang, Guri, and Hanam."

He emphasized, "For this to be implemented, cooperation between local governments is very important," and said, "In advanced countries, councils are usually formed to discuss and execute such metropolitan issues. Although we have similar cases, negotiations are not easy. The Gimpo mayor's decision to limit incorporation into Seoul was, in a way, a very fresh approach to establishing a vertical cooperative relationship."

Professor Kim believes that if Gimpo is incorporated into Seoul, it will resolve the traffic problems faced by Gimpo citizens. He said, "Metropolitan buses can be converted into city buses, and there is also a regional surcharge for taxis, which would be eliminated. Currently, Seoul taxis and Gimpo taxis operate separately with restrictions, but those would disappear, greatly improving efficiency."

He added, "Housing construction could increase, and Gimpo also has industrial sites, so if developed, the local economy is expected to be revitalized. In Seoul, there is no housing land, so land prices have risen significantly, ultimately causing house prices to increase. If surrounding areas are incorporated together, the available land will increase, and many spatial limitations can be overcome."

Regarding criticism that the 'Mega City Seoul' is contradictory amid the cancellation of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) mega city, he said, "Ultimately, it fails because the heads of local governments change," adding, "Since it is almost a horizontal cooperative relationship, it is difficult. But if Gimpo is incorporated into Seoul, it will become one district office, and regardless of who the head is, it will be within Seoul, so all projects that were intended for cooperation can be carried out. In that sense, it is a somewhat differentiated idea from what was done before."

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