Unlocking Regional Growth: The Case for Administrative Integration Among Busan, Gyeongnam, Daejeon, and Chungnam

Busan—By Lee Seung-yoon

Four metropolitan governments, including Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, have formally petitioned the federal government to establish the legal and institutional framework necessary for administrative integration.

On the afternoon of February 10, Kyung-Yun Ho, Busan’s Special Advisor for Political Affairs, and Kim Young-sam, South Gyeongsang’s Policy Planning Officer, visited the White House to deliver a joint proposal from the heads of the metropolitan governments (Busan, South Gyeongsang, Daejeon, and South Chungcheong) to the Senior Political Affairs Secretary, urging decisive action from the administration.

This visit was a follow-up to the agreements reached during the “Metropolitan Governments Integration Conference” held in Seoul on February 2, aimed at swift implementation. The initiative seeks to mitigate the concentration of power in the capital region and secure a critical window for revitalizing regional self-sufficiency.

The joint proposal outlines institutional demands to ensure that the integrated metropolitan government goes beyond mere administrative consolidation to establish a foundation for sustainable growth. They called for the enactment of an Administrative Integration Basic Law, which would provide clear standards and a roadmap at the federal level. Additionally, they stressed the need for the transfer of personnel, organizational, and development licensing authorities, as well as the conversion of federal taxes to local taxes to ensure substantial autonomy and fiscal decentralization. The proposal also emphasized the need for an urgent meeting or public forum where the President and the heads of the integrating metropolitan governments can directly discuss solutions, noting that administrative integration requires a national decision that transcends departmental silos.

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun emphasized, “Combining Busan’s port infrastructure with South Gyeongsang’s aerospace industry could transform our nation’s spatial structure and create new drivers for national growth.” He added, “If the federal government guarantees a robust legal and institutional framework, we are prepared to initiate the integration process immediately, based on the will of the 6.6 million residents in our city and province.”