Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Receives Final Report from the Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Public Deliberation Committee Today (Jan. 26)

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it received the final report from the Busan–Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Public Deliberation Committee (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) at 2:00 p.m. today (Jan. 26) in the Mayor’s Reception Room at City Hall.

The Committee was launched in November 2024 with the aim of fostering public deliberation on administrative integration and is composed of 30 members, including representatives of residents from Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do as well as experts.

To date, the Committee has conducted a total of 14 meetings, held eight regional discussion forums, and organized 21 on-site briefing sessions for residents to raise awareness of the necessity of administrative integration and strategies for balanced regional development. Following a public opinion survey, the Committee prepared and submitted the final report, thereby completing its mandate.

On January 13, the Committee presented its position that advancing administrative integration is necessary and officially proposed directly confirming the will of city and provincial residents through a referendum.

The final report comprehensively includes the deliberation process, public opinion among city and provincial residents, and overall conclusions, reflecting the Committee’s activities over approximately one year and three months.

The city emphasized that integration without clearly reflecting residents’ will could result in unnecessary regional conflict and lasting repercussions, and stated that it will steadfastly uphold the principle of “bottom-up administrative integration.”

Mayor Park Heong-joon encouraged the Committee for its efforts, stating, “The entire process of continuous discussion and public deliberation on what kind of blueprint and vision to present for this unprecedented integration of metropolitan governments will remain a meaningful historical milestone for all.”

He added, “We will carefully review the final report and make efforts to move toward an integrated local government through which Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do can respond to capital area concentration and reverse the trend of regional decline.”