[Insight & Opinion] Seoul's Expansion Should Be Examined from the Perspective of Citizen Benefits

Published 07 Nov.2023 13:37(KST)

Since Kim Gi-hyeon, the leader of the People Power Party, proposed incorporating Gimpo into Seoul, the controversy surrounding the expansion of Seoul has intensified. The author made a similar suggestion in an Asia Economy column on September 11, 2020. In a situation where preference and concentration on Seoul continue, the core idea was to consider incorporating adjacent areas to secure land for large-scale housing supply to prevent housing shortages and price increases caused by the lack of available land. Although not mentioned in the column at the time, the proposal was aimed at local governments located in the western part of Seoul.

Looking at the map, there are areas that have an unusually close relationship with Seoul. In the case of Gwangmyeong City, the boundary crosses over the Anyangcheon Stream. There are Seoul administrative districts on the west side of Anyangcheon, and conversely, Gwangmyeong’s jurisdiction exists on the east side. They also share the same telephone area code, 02, as Seoul, and two stations on Seoul Subway Line 7 were included from the initial construction phase, not as extensions, and have been operated accordingly. Regarding taxis, those based in Guro and Geumcheon are legally allowed to operate in Gwangmyeong. Given this level of connection, integration seems natural, but in reality, it is not easy. Cities like Goyang, which hosts many Seoul city undesirable facilities such as the Nanji Water Reclamation Center, Seoul Municipal Crematorium, and Byeokje-ri Cemetery, and Gwacheon, which has the 6.46 million square meter Seoul Grand Park, have long struggled with how to define their relationship with Seoul.

As activities crossing administrative boundaries increase, concerns about how to set administrative districts are growing. Although the registered population of Seoul is 9.65 million, the actual living population in Seoul is counted at 10.94 million. At least 1.3 million people commute to Seoul daily. The severe congestion on the Capital Region Circular Expressway throughout the day shows that movement within the metropolitan area is also on a massive scale. While the need for inter-local government cooperation in many areas, including transportation, is increasing, cooperation is difficult for various reasons. A place that clearly shows the problems caused by lack of cooperation is near Sadang Station. It is a transfer point for numerous buses traveling between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, but transfer facilities are severely insufficient. Moreover, the concentration of various commuter and charter buses worsens congestion, but discussions on roles and budget sharing among local governments to solve these problems have not progressed, increasing inconvenience for users.

More than 30 years after the implementation of local autonomy, the need for changes and mergers in administrative districts is growing, but actual changes are becoming more difficult. Recent moves such as the division of Northern Gyeonggi Province and the incorporation of Gimpo into Seoul are positive in that they could change this trend, regardless of feasibility and validity. Rather than debating whether Seoul’s expansion is desirable, we should first examine what factors cause inconvenience to citizens and why such inconveniences remain unresolved. If Seoul’s expansion and integration are solutions to these problems, then it should be done accordingly.

The character “Gi” (畿) in Gyeonggi Province means the area surrounding Seoul (京). The name itself shows the close relationship with Seoul. Discussions about administrative district reorganization should focus on what is more desirable for the development of the entire metropolitan area and the enhancement of citizens’ benefits, rather than viewing it as a “zero-sum game” between Seoul and Gyeonggi. The responsibility for consideration and proposing alternatives lies with the political sphere.