Chungnam Provincial Council Officially Declares Support for Daejeon-Chungnam Administrative Integration

Provincial Council Adopts 'In Favor' Stance at Plenary Session
Special Act Promotion and National Assembly Persuasion to Gain Momentum

Chungnam Provincial Government Office View

The administrative integration initiative being pursued by Chungnam Province and Daejeon City has gained momentum as the Chungnam Provincial Council officially adopted a position in favor of the integration.

On July 29, Chungnam Province announced that the agenda item titled "Hearing the Opinion on the Promotion of Administrative Integration between Daejeon and Chungnam" was approved at the 360th plenary session of the provincial council.

This agenda item is a procedure to hear the prior opinion of the provincial council when integrating administrative districts, in accordance with Article 5 of the Local Autonomy Act. During the vote held on this day, the majority voted in favor.

This decision is the result of public briefings and a process of public discussion regarding the "Special Act on Administrative Integration" prepared by the Daejeon-Chungnam Administrative Integration Public-Private Council, which was launched at the end of last year. It is regarded as a milestone symbolizing progress in local deliberation and social consensus.

The provincial council stated, "Administrative integration can be a strategic choice to respond to the concentration of power in the capital region, realize local autonomy and decentralization, and strengthen regional competitiveness." They emphasized that the core aspects of the special act include financial special provisions, expansion of local autonomy, and the transfer of national administrative affairs.

Additionally, the vision presented by the public-private council?"Republic of Korea's Economic and Science Capital, Daejeon-Chungnam Special City (tentative name)"?is drawing attention as a new model for balanced national development.

Recent public opinion surveys have also shown a positive trend. According to three rounds of online, landline, and mobile phone surveys conducted since May, 55.9% were in favor and 31.7% were opposed, with support being 1.76 times higher than opposition.

This is interpreted as the result of continued communication efforts by both Chungnam Province and Daejeon City, including 20 public briefings for residents, policy forums, and media promotion held between June and July.

Based on the council's approval, the province plans to accelerate the process of proposing a special law to the National Assembly and holding discussions with the central government.

The province also intends to focus on addressing concerns about the potential marginalization of basic local governments and on detailing measures for balanced regional development.

A provincial official stated, "This decision by the provincial council reflects the will of the residents and serves as both a turning point and a starting point for the integration discussions," adding, "We will do our utmost to persuade the National Assembly and the central government."

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