"Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee Urges Suspension of TK Administrative Integration Talks, Criticizing Political Calculations Without Public Opinion Gathering"

"Must Go Through Public Discussion Process with City and Provincial Residents"

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee expressed its opposition in a commentary released on the 29th, stating, "The administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk is being pushed forward without gathering public opinion from local residents."

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee said, "After Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo argued in May that Gyeongbuk should be absorbed and integrated into Daegu, on July 24, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Local Era Committee, Daegu City, and Gyeongbuk Province met at the provincial government office to announce the formation of a dedicated organization, preparation of an integration plan, and establishment of regional development measures." The committee continued, "Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province plan to draw up a joint agreement within this month, finalize the plan through consultations with relevant government ministries in August, obtain approval from the city and provincial councils in September, and submit a special bill to the National Assembly in October. If passed, they intend to elect a single head of the integrated local government in the June 2026 local elections, thus pushing forward with the integration according to this plan."

Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee went on to say, "Daegu City has proposed naming the integrated local government 'Daegu-Gyeongbuk Special City,' with the main office in Daegu, a northern office in Andong, and a southern office in Pohang. However, Gyeongbuk Province insists that the location should be determined by ordinance after the integration is completed." The committee added, "Nowhere in the integration discussions is there a process for gathering public opinion from city and provincial residents, which is the most important aspect. On the 18th, Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo offered a poor excuse for not conducting a public opinion poll on the TK administrative integration, saying there was no money for it, clearly conscious of the negative public sentiment toward the integration."

Additionally, the Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee stated that Daegu City's proposals to appease the northern region, which opposes the integration?such as attracting a casino resort to Mungyeong, developing a northern comprehensive industrial complex centered around the TK New Airport, relocating public institutions, and balancing the city hall organization?are merely sugarcoated measures to facilitate integration, as these initiatives can be pursued independently of the integration.

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee further emphasized, "Regardless of the name of the integrated local government, this is a grave matter that could sever the thousand-year-old history of Gyeongsang Province and inevitably shift Gyeongbuk's center of gravity to Daegu. We strongly demand that the process include gathering public opinion from city and provincial residents and sufficient public debate." The committee urged, "Immediately halt the unilateral push for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration, which is being driven solely by the political calculations of certain politicians."

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