Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk, "Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integration Must Proceed Without Interruption"

Mayor Hong Jun-pyo Issues Statement on 'Integration Collapse' Declaration
Governor Lee: "Agreement and Coordination Are Key, Let's Open the Path to Integration"

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, stated on the 27th that "the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk must proceed without interruption."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In a statement released that day, Governor Lee said, "The administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk is a very important national reform project to address issues such as low birth rates that our country is facing," and emphasized, "Especially to move away from the Seoul metropolitan area’s unipolar system and create a multipolar system to achieve balanced regional development, Daegu and Gyeongbuk must take the lead in realizing administrative integration."

Governor Lee added, "Administrative integration is a very complex issue involving various fields, so obstacles are inevitable during the process, and therefore consensus and coordination are important," and proposed, "There may be greater obstacles than those raised so far. Let us overcome these challenges through mutual consultation and coordination and open the path for Daegu and Gyeongbuk integration for future generations."

Governor Lee issued this statement in the afternoon after Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, officially declared on his Facebook that discussions on Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration had collapsed.

Mayor Hong said, "It is regrettable that today the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council became a venue for criticizing the Daegu mayor. Although the final deadline is tomorrow, it seems difficult to obtain the council’s consent," and added, "It seems that turning the integration discussions into a long-term task and focusing solely on Daegu Innovation 100 would be a way to resolve the conflicts between Daegu and Gyeongbuk."

The administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk was pursued in 2019 but failed, and was reinitiated in May when Mayor Hong proposed it. However, disagreements over city and county authority and the integrated government building prevented narrowing the differences.

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