City-County Integration Rules Planned

The National Assembly’s special committee for the reorganization of the administrative system has decided to propose standards for combining cities and counties by 2010. If the councils of any city or county want to integrate, then a citizen vote will be held to decide.

A high-level official of the special committee stated on February 10 that subcommittee discussions of the special committee were held with the chairman of the special committee, Huh Tae-yeol of the Grand National Party, and other National Assembly members. At these discussions, they agreed to combine provincial cities and counties, with the decision on whether to also integrate districts to be made later.

According to the reorganization plan that the special committee is currently reviewing, after 2010, when two or more cities and counties are combined to form a new city, the city will assume 70 percent of the union’s provincial duties. If over two-thirds of the province becomes new cities, then the province will be abolished. Instead, four to six broad administrative bodies will be established to coordinate and carry out orders from the central government.

The special committee estimates that based on the principle of citizens’ voluntary integration, expert opinions, and local petitions, there will be 30 to 70 new cities at the most.

But the special committee has recognized the possibility of competitive regions combining and isolating distressed areas. Therefore, the government has decided to create guidelines for integration based on a city or region’s population and degree of financial independence.

In order to prevent favoritism by civil petitions or duplicate investments in road and railroad construction or city development, while giving wide administrative bodies the responsibility to oversee affairs, the government plans to give local councils ex post facto approval powers.

An official of the special committee said. “In relation to the metropolitan cities, the Uri Party suggested splitting Seoul into five and Busan into two. However, the Grand National Party is opposed to the idea, so it is unlikely that the plan will be adopted.”

The special committee made agreements with local governments and the staff of five ministries on the issue of combining cities and counties from February 7 through February 9. They have also agreed to extend the time limit of special committee activities, which would have expired at the end of February, to late April.

In-Jik Cho cij1999@donga.com