Busan is good

Public Discussion on Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Begins in Earnest First Citizens’ Forum to Be Held on July 1

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Public Discussion Committee (co-chaired by Jeon Ho-hwan and Kwon Soon-ki, hereinafter "the Committee") announced that the first Citizens’ Forum on the Busan–Gyeongnam administrative integration will be held on Monday, July 1 at 2:00 PM at the Grand Ballroom of the Asti Hotel Busan.

○ The forum will begin with a keynote presentation titled “The Progress and Necessity of the Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration”, delivered by Park Jae-yul, Co-Spokesperson of the Committee and Executive Representative of the Busan Citizens' Coalition for Decentralization and Balanced Development, followed by a panel discussion.

○ The panel discussion will be moderated by Jeon Ho-hwan, Co-Chair of the Committee and former president of Tongmyong University. Panelists will include:
 – Lee Jun-ho, Busan Metropolitan Council Member
 – Oh Moon-beom, Secretary General of Busan YMCA
 – Yoon Eun-gi, Professor at Dong-A University
 – Ha Hye-soo, Professor at Kyungpook National University

○ This forum will serve as a platform to gather diverse expert insights from academia, civil society, and local councils and to hear the voices and concerns of citizens.

○ Following the July 1 launch at the Asti Hotel Busan, eight forums will be held through the end of July across Busan and Gyeongnam, open to any citizen interested in the administrative integration initiative.

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[Busan Forum Schedule]

• ●Central Downtown Zone:
   • July 1 (Tue) at 2:00 PM – Asti Hotel Busan

• ●Central Region:
   • July 9 (Tue) at 2:00 PM – Busan Metropolitan Council

• ●Eastern Region:
   • July 15 (Tue) at 2:00 PM – Busan Women’s Center

• ●Western Region:
   • July 22 (Tue) at 2:00 PM – Busan Metropolitan Library

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[Gyeongnam Forum Schedule]

• ●Eastern Region:
   • July 2 (Wed) at 2:00 PM – Yangsan Cultural & Arts Center

• ●Western Region:
   • July 11 (Fri) at 2:00 PM – Gyeongsang National University, Jinju

• ●Southern Region:
   • July 17 (Thu) at 2:00 PM – Tongyeong Public Library

• ●Central Region:
   • July 25 (Fri) at 2:00 PM – Changwon Convention Center

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Kwon Soon-ki, Co-Chair of the Committee, stated:

“The Public Discussion Committee is prioritizing citizen consensus. We will do our utmost to explain the necessity and vision of administrative integration, so that decisions can be made bottom-up, reflecting the voices of Busan and Gyeongnam citizens. We encourage your active participation and hope this will be a step toward co-prosperity.”

Jeon Ho-hwan, Co-Chair of the Committee, added:

“In this time of national crisis, including regional extinction, the administrative integration of Busan and Gyeongnam is a vital strategy for Korea’s sustainable development. Building consensus through open communication with citizens is essential, and I hope these forums will serve as meaningful opportunities to exchange diverse perspectives.”

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[Reference 1]

Overview: Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Citizens’ Forum (Central Downtown Zone)

• ●Topic: “The Progress and Necessity of the Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration”

• ●Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 14:00–16:00

• ●Venue: Grand Ballroom, Asti Hotel Busan

• ●Participants:
   • Moderator: Jeon Ho-hwan
   • 4 Panelists
   • Relevant officials from Busan and Gyeongnam governments and assemblies
   • Related organizations and approximately 150 citizens