Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheolwoo: "If the Government Commits to Relocating Major Corporations, Will Lead TK Administrative Integration"

President Lee Proposes Administrative Integration
Expresses Position via Facebook

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, stated on December 9, "If the government makes a firm commitment to underdeveloped regions, such as relocating large corporations, Daegu and Gyeongbuk will move forward with integration."

On this day, Governor Lee expressed his position via Facebook, saying, "Since President Lee Jaemyung has described the integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as 'a chance,' I would like to make a proposal."

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province

Governor Lee said, "The decisions to separate cities into directly governed municipalities to assist local administration-such as Busan in 1963, Daegu in 1981, and Gwangju in 1986-were made for administrative convenience. Looking back now, these were misguided choices. Like separating the yolk from the white of an egg, this division weakened regional competitiveness and accelerated concentration in the capital area."

He continued, "We are now in an era of metropolitan competition. France, for example, consolidated its 22 regions into 13 in 2016. In our case, a simple metropolitan union is not enough; the entire country must be reorganized so that each local government unit has a population of 5 million, and this administrative restructuring must be promoted as a general law." He added, "At the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting in November, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong responded that a general law for metropolitan administrative integration is being prepared."

However, Governor Lee argued that the key to success lies in the state proactively presenting a balanced development plan to resolve the challenges faced by underdeveloped areas. In simple terms, a bold strategy is needed so that, upon integration of regions such as TK, PK, Honam, and Chungcheong, a major conglomerate can be relocated to each area.

He stated, "Through two attempts at Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration in 2020 and 2024, I confirmed that the biggest obstacle is the issue of balanced development. In particular, in northern Gyeongbuk, there is growing concern about being absorbed by Daegu, leading to strong opposition. This is not just a problem for Daegu and Gyeongbuk; it will be a common challenge whenever other regions discuss integration in the future."

Governor Lee further expressed concern, saying, "For metropolitan administrative integration to succeed, the state must first present a clear commitment to supporting the development of underdeveloped areas and a concrete blueprint to ensure integration leads to success for all. Yet, in reality, the government and the ruling party have not allocated a single won for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integrated airport in next year's budget."

Governor Lee also pointed out that there has been no response regarding key SOC projects long demanded by northern Gyeongbuk, such as the five-axis expressway, high-speed rail, and the north-south nine-axis expressway. He emphasized, "These issues cannot be solved by the region alone, and without decisive action and institutional support at the national level, they are impossible to resolve."

He said, "Practical measures for underdeveloped areas, such as relocating large corporations, must be possible for a future strategy that benefits everyone. While we can talk about 'chances,' real opportunities are created through action." He urged the president and political leaders to seize this chance by making decisions and taking action now.

Governor Lee promised, "If there is a firm national commitment, Daegu and Gyeongbuk are more prepared than anyone to pursue integration, and all residents can move forward together with a shared understanding."

He added, "An integrated Daegu-Gyeongbuk would be home to 5 million people, similar to Northern European countries, with a total output of 200 trillion won, comparable to countries ranked 50th to 60th in the world. It would be a region where the sea, rivers, mountains, major cities, industrial cities, and historic cultural cities harmonize. The Pohang, Gumi, Daegu, and Andong areas would form the east, west, south, and north axes, respectively, and serve as a two-port gateway to the world through international airports and seaports. This would allow the region to emerge as a new growth metropolitan economic zone, leading a new Korea." He pledged, "Just as we achieved unprecedented success with this year's Gyeongju APEC, we will also set an example in achieving national balanced development."

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