Lee Jangwoo: "Democratic Party's Hollow, Deficient Bill Must Be Scrapped... Integration Bill Needed"

"Demanding agreement on a hollow bill without power transfer is highly contradictory"


"Rushing to draft an integration bill due to elections is absolutely unacceptable"


"A bill that sufficiently guarantees local autonomy must be prepared"

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon (Photo by Seokbong Mo)

On the afternoon of March 5, at 1:00 PM, Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, held an emergency press conference at the city hall briefing room regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and Chungnam. He stated, "The special bill proposed by the Democratic Party is a hollow and deficient piece of legislation that should be scrapped, as it does not transfer any central power to the local level."

He further argued, "It is most desirable to create an integration bill that fits with the principles of regional equality and local autonomy, one that applies equally not only to the Honam, Yeongnam, and Chungcheong regions but also to the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area (Bu-Ul-Gyeong)."

He continued, "To achieve this, a special committee with participation from various political parties needs to be formed, and under this committee, sub-organizations including city and provincial officials, local councils, and heads of local governments must be involved. Sufficient discussion should be held so that we can draft a bill capable of addressing not only the aftereffects of integration but also any minor difficulties that may arise following integration. This should be the highest priority."

In particular, he strongly criticized, "It is absolutely unacceptable to draft such a bill in a rush due to election schedules."

Mayor Lee also sharply criticized, saying, "The very attempt to link the integration of Daejeon and Chungnam with that of Daegu and Gyeongbuk is an act of contempt towards the citizens of Daejeon."

He added, "It is quite contradictory to demand agreement on a hollow bill that lacks provisions for the permanent transfer of fiscal authority, relocation of special local administrative agencies, exemption from preliminary feasibility studies, lifting of development restriction zones, and other powers related to local autonomy—all of which are necessary to overcome the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area and the threat of local extinction."

He continued, "In order to make a genuine reform of the administrative system for the great transformation of Korea, the first step must be to prepare a bill that guarantees a sufficient level of local autonomy. More extensive procedures are required to widely collect the opinions of the residents, who are the main stakeholders in administrative integration."

He especially pressured the government and the ruling party by saying, "To this end, it is essential to provide sufficient prior explanation to residents and various civic groups and to secure legitimacy through a referendum."

Lastly, Mayor Lee emphasized, "I believe it is also my duty to protect the interests, the great values, and the identity of Daejeon City," adding, "I will continue to do my utmost to resolutely safeguard the interests of Daejeon, the values of its citizens, and the rights and interests of Daejeon residents against any attempts that may arise in the future."

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