After TK Administrative Integration, North Gyeongsang Council Members Cut from 60 to 48 (Down 12)... Daegu Council Members Rise from 33 to 45 (Up 12)

Preliminary candidate Lee Gangdeok argues
"Unbroken silence without any countermeasures"

If the special act on the administrative integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang is soon passed at the National Assembly plenary session, more than 10 seats in the North Gyeongsang Provincial Council are expected to be cut. In response to these concerns, Lee Gangdeok, preliminary People Power Party candidate for Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, criticized on the 20th, saying, "Going forward, in the 22 cities and counties of North Gyeongsang, especially in the county-level areas, who will represent the residents' views, and how will we secure the budget? It is utterly absurd."

In a post uploaded to his social media account on the 20th, Lee said, "The Constitutional Court has set the permissible population deviation for metropolitan and provincial council elections at 3 to 1. If the Daegu and North Gyeongsang councils are integrated, the North Gyeongsang region, where the population continues to decline, will inevitably see a reduction in seats as the deviation is aligned with Daegu City's population." He went on, "In terms of population ratio, the number of North Gyeongsang provincial council members will decrease by 12, from the current 60 seats to 48, while the number of Daegu metropolitan council members will increase by 12, from the current 33 seats to 45."

Lee Gangdeok, preliminary candidate for Governor of North Gyeongsang Province

He continued, "Without any thorough preparation for such a grave issue, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Council hastily approved the integration at the request of the Governor of North Gyeongsang," adding, "I cannot help but ask whether there has ever been a single in-depth discussion about the reduction in the number of seats allocated to the North Gyeongsang region."

Lee stressed, "A reduction in the number of metropolitan council members is not just a numerical decrease; it is a matter of regional representation," and added, "It is as clear as day that the northern part of North Gyeongsang, the East Coast region, and Ulleungdo, which have smaller populations, will take a direct hit."

Recalling that the Daegu Metropolitan Council is holding an emergency expanded meeting of its leadership regarding the 'Daegu–North Gyeongsang Administrative Integration Special Act' and that the People Power Party's South Chungcheong Provincial Chapter will hold a 'Rally to Denounce the Hasty Integration of South Chungcheong and Daejeon' in front of the main building of the National Assembly on the 24th, Lee asked, "What on earth are we in North Gyeongsang doing right now?"

Lee said, "As a preliminary candidate for Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, I am overwhelmed with a sense of devastation and shame," and questioned, "Why is everyone maintaining complete silence?"

He was essentially asking why only North Gyeongsang remains silent while Daegu and South Chungcheong–Daejeon are putting their opposition to a hasty integration into action.

Lee added, "Since ancient times, it has been said that 'those who clearly express their intent gain more,'" and said, "Through silence, we can never protect the interests of our North Gyeongsang."

Lee urged, "When the voices of each and every resident of the province are added together, our outcry will resonate all the more powerfully," and said, "Now is the time for the residents of North Gyeongsang to take action against the hasty administrative integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang."

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