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Ruling party’s selective approach stalls Daegu–North Gyeongsang integration

Published: 03 Mar. 2026, 00:00

Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party, chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, sits at center while speaking with fellow Democratic Party members from the committee during the eighth plenary session of the February extraordinary National Assembly session at the Assembly on Feb. 28. [YONHAP]

The bill to integrate Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province faces the risk of failing even as the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly ends on March 3. While the integration law for Gwangju and South Jeolla Province was already passed in a plenary session under the leadership of the Democratic Party, the Daegu–North Gyeongsang integration bill remains stalled.

The People Power Party has called for its passage, and local support is strong. Unlike the proposed integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong, which faces opposition from local governments and councils, there is little reason to block the Daegu–North Gyeongsang measure. Yet the bill has not cleared the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

Committee chair Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party said at a meeting on Feb. 24 that the People Power Party leadership and the Daegu City Council opposed the merger. Based on that assessment, the committee processed only the Gwangju–South Jeolla bill. Since then, the Daegu council has reversed its earlier concerns about a rushed integration and formally expressed support.

The People Power Party also confirmed its position through a vote by lawmakers from the region and asked the Democratic Party to convene the committee and place the bill on the plenary agenda.

Choo later cited the opposition’s filibuster against three judicial reform bills as a reason for delaying action. The Democratic Party leadership added that a partial approach was unacceptable and insisted that the Daejeon–South Chungcheong integration bill be handled together.

On March 1, the People Power Party decided to end its filibuster and again requested a committee meeting to process the Daegu–North Gyeongsang bill. The request was not accepted.

Democratic leaders have since suggested that a public apology from the People Power Party and a unified stance on the Daejeon–South Chungcheong merger should come first. As negotiations continue, local opinion supporting the Daegu–North Gyeongsang integration has yet to be reflected in the legislative process.

Administrative integration was originally proposed as a way to address regional decline. Areas that support consolidation should be allowed to proceed, while others can be addressed through further consultation.

The Democratic Party should move quickly to convene the committee and plenary session to handle the Daegu–North Gyeongsang bill. Linking regional development to political bargaining risks undermining the responsibility of the ruling party to pursue balanced national growth.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.