Parties clash over regional integration ahead of local elections

The special law on administrative integration between South Jeolla Province and Gwangju passed the National Assembly on March 1, led by the Democratic Party of Korea. Proposed integration bills for Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province and South Chungcheong Province-Daejeon were postponed following tense negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties.

The People Power Party abruptly shifted from opposing to supporting the Daegu-North Gyeongsang integration and called for the bill to be handled together with the others. The Democratic Party of Korea countered by demanding a public apology and a formal party resolution that would also include the South Chungcheong-Daejeon integration. On March 2, the People Power Party urged an end to what it called regional divisiveness, while the Democratic Party of Korea maintained that the integration measures must proceed as a single package.

Both parties appear driven more by political strategy than principle. The People Power Party, after initially resisting the measure, reversed its position and even halted a filibuster. The Democratic Party of Korea, in turn, pressed for broader concessions. With local elections set for June 3, the opposition’s earlier resistance reflected electoral calculations. As public sentiment in Daegu deteriorated, concerns grew that the party could even lose the mayoral seat, prompting a swift change in stance. The ruling party then accused the opposition of inconsistency and demanded formal backing for both the Daegu-North Gyeongsang and South Chungcheong-Daejeon integrations.

At present, local government heads and assembly members in South Chungcheong and Daejeon remain opposed, making another shift by the People Power Party unlikely. Still, the issue is not without irony. The opposition had previously been more proactive than the ruling party on administrative integration. In December, remarks by President Lee Jae-myung accelerated the debate, but a month earlier, People Power Party governors and mayors had already announced plans to pursue integration and introduced the special bill first. It would be regrettable if speculation over potential candidates or partisan advantage were now to derail the initiative.

Administrative integration is intended as a national strategy to promote balanced regional development, strengthen competitiveness and move beyond the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area while addressing the threat of regional decline. The three regions of South Jeolla-Gwangju, Daegu-North Gyeongsang and South Chungcheong-Daejeon must advance together to generate meaningful synergy. South Chungcheong and Daejeon, situated at the center of the country, cannot afford to stand aside. If other regions enhance their competitiveness through integration while they fall behind, the resulting sense of marginalization would be considerable.

To ensure the smooth launch of the integrated special cities in line with the June 3 local elections, the bills must be passed by early March. What is required now are responsible political decisions and sustained efforts to persuade residents of the benefits of integration.