Kim Hojin, Head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integration Promotion Task Force: "We Will Strive to Ensure All 40 Core Special Cases Are Reflected in the Special Act"

Daegu Metropolitan City and North Gyeongsang Province have decided to ensure that essential core special cases, which are indispensable for the practical promotion of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration, are fully reflected in the special act by persuading the relevant government ministries and working in cooperation with local members of the National Assembly.

North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu Metropolitan City have been preparing for administrative integration since 2019, earlier than any other region in the country. A total of 335 provisions (including 319 special cases) aimed at the substantive transfer of finances and authority were incorporated into the “Special Act on the Administrative Integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province,” which was sponsored on January 30 by Ku Ja-keun, a lawmaker from the People Power Party.

Kim Hojin, Head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integration Promotion Task Force

Subsequently, the special act bill, which was referred to the Public Administration and Security Committee of the National Assembly on February 5, went through a legislative public hearing on the 9th and is currently under review by the subcommittee. On the 11th, the full committee is scheduled to decide whether to refer it to the plenary session.

North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu Metropolitan City plan to work together with Daejeon and South Chungcheong, and Gwangju and South Jeolla, where administrative integration is being pursued in parallel, to secure priority reflection of common provisions in the integration bills. Among the 93 items that were not accepted during the government review, they intend to actively push for the inclusion in the special act of about 40 key special cases that determine the effectiveness of administrative integration, including those related to organization and finance, future special zones, balanced development in northern North Gyeongsang, and advanced strategic industries.

Centering on People Power Party lawmaker Ku Ja-keun, who sponsored the special act, North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu Metropolitan City are actively working to persuade the relevant government ministries in close cooperation with local members of the National Assembly. They stated that People Power Party lawmaker Lee Dal-hee, who is a member of the Public Administration and Security Committee, is taking the lead in enacting the integration special act following the enactment of the special act on wildfires. They added that, during the bill review process at the Public Administration and Security Committee, efforts are being made to ensure that major core special cases are reflected as much as possible while maintaining fairness with special cases granted to other cities and provinces.

Kim Hojin, Head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integration Promotion Task Force, said, “Since the legislative procedures for the three regions are being pursued simultaneously, we expect a balanced and equitable legislative process. At this point, the most important issue in the National Assembly’s special act legislation process is to secure the inclusion of the region’s core special cases,” adding, “Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province will work to ensure that the key special provisions we seek under the special act are reflected as fully as possible through close cooperation and coordination.”

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