Daejeon and Chungnam Public-Private Administrative Integration Council Launched... Integration Bill to Be Prepared by First Half of Next Year

Launch Ceremony at Daejeon City Hall on the 24th... Comprised of 30 Experts from Both Regions

The public-private administrative integration council, which will serve as the control tower for the administrative integration of Daejeon and Chungnam, was launched on the 24th at Daejeon City Hall. Photo by Daejeon City

A public-private consultative body, which will serve as the control tower for the administrative integration of Daejeon City and Chungnam Province, was launched on the 24th at the Daejeon City Hall seminar room.

The launch ceremony, attended by more than 50 people including Daejeon Mayor Lee Jangwoo and Chungnam Governor Kim Taeheum, proceeded with the appointment letters being awarded and the first meeting being held.

The consultative body consists of 30 members in total, with 15 each from Daejeon and Chungnam, including members of the metropolitan and local councils, heads of basic local governments, representatives of economic and social organizations, and academic experts.

The co-chairs are Lee Changki, President of the Korea Disabled Mentoring Association (Daejeon), and Jeong Jaekeun, President of the Korea Confucian Culture Promotion Institute (Chungnam).

The consultative body will serve as the official communication channel for public-private cooperation, gathering local opinions and building consensus. It will prepare an integrated legislative bill addressing major issues such as the name of the integrated local government, the location of the government office, functions, and special provisions by the first half of next year, and propose it to both the city and province.

After reviewing the proposed bill, the city and province plan to enact the integration law through consultations with central government ministries and the National Assembly, aiming to launch the integrated local government in July 2026.

The term of the consultative body members will last until the enactment of the integration law, and during the first meeting, they discussed the frequency and timing of meetings, as well as the operation of subcommittees.

At the launch ceremony, Governor Kim Taeheum said, "Since the will of the citizens is the most important factor in promoting administrative integration, we have formed this consultative body to collect opinions from all walks of life in a bottom-up manner. As the central organization for promoting administrative integration, I ask that you listen to and actively reflect the opinions of the citizens."

He added, "Through the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, the four cities and provinces of the Chungcheong region should move toward a loose union in the form of the EU, and after Chungnam and Daejeon integrate first, ultimately achieve integration with Chungbuk and Sejong as well, forming a single economic zone comparable to Denmark with a population of 5.6 million."

Mayor Lee Jangwoo emphasized, "To overcome the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area, it is time for Daejeon and Chungnam to join forces and achieve competitiveness comparable to the capital region. Daejeon and Chungnam, which share the same roots, can become a pillar of Korea's future through administrative integration."

He added, "There are many projects that Daejeon and Chungnam can work on together, such as the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, the 2027 Summer World University Games, and the Chungcheong Region Second Outer Ring Expressway. I ask the committee members to gather wisdom and diverse opinions to help build a Korea where people can prosper anywhere in the country."

Previously, Daejeon City and Chungnam Province declared on the 21st of last month that they would pursue integration for the first time in 35 years since their separation in 1989, aiming to establish Korea's second-largest metropolitan economic zone after the capital region and strengthen global competitiveness.

If Daejeon and Chungnam are integrated, various indicators will rank among the top: a population of 3.58 million (3rd), a fiscal scale of 17.3439 trillion won (3rd), a GRDP of 191.6 trillion won (3rd), 184 industrial complexes (3rd), cumulative exports as of the end of September this year of $71.5 billion (2nd), cumulative imports during the same period of $34.6 billion (5th), and a cumulative trade surplus of $36.9 billion (1st).

Following the launch ceremony, Governor Kim gave a special lecture to Daejeon City Hall employees. In the lecture, Governor Kim referred to the Chungcheong Metropolitan Union, which was launched on the 18th, saying, "Chungnam, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungbuk share the same roots and family through history and culture. We will make sure that the administrative integration of Chungnam and Daejeon becomes a catalyst for the integration of the entire Chungcheong region."

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