Choo Kyung-ho and Lee Cheol-woo: "If Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Is Achieved, All Issues Can Be Resolved"...Push for Bill Passage During Regular Assembly Session

One-Hour Emergency Meeting at Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office
Discussions Cover New Airport and Relocation of Public Institutions

Mayor Choo Kyung-ho of Daegu and Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongsangbuk-do met on the afternoon of July 29, 2026, at the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office, where they agreed that Daegu and Gyeongbuk would proactively pursue administrative integration of the TK (Taegu-Gyeongbuk) region and push for the passage of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integration Bill during the regular session of the National Assembly.

Governor Lee said, "The administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk is the top priority. Only then can all the outstanding issues be resolved. We have agreed to meet with the region’s National Assembly members before the regular session and ask for the integration bill to be approved," adding, "I believe that the construction of the new Daegu-Gyeongbuk airport—currently the region’s biggest concern—will also be easily solved if administrative integration is achieved."

Daegu Mayor Cho Kyung-ho (left) and Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo are shaking hands, pledging cooperation.

Mayor Choo added, "We will next meet in Daegu to discuss further measures for cooperation between Daegu and Gyeongbuk."

During the meeting, they also discussed at length the promotion of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport project, agreeing to work together for the airport to open on schedule. To this end, they will collect a wide range of opinions from experts, local National Assembly members, and relevant organizations, continue working-level discussions, and hold another meeting between the two heads of local government soon to discuss more concrete implementation plans.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo emphasized, "The Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport is the most important project for shaping the future of our region; from the site selection onward, it has been the result of cooperation between Daegu and Gyeongbuk. The people of both cities and provinces fully recognize the necessity of the new airport, so we will join forces with Daegu to ensure it is built on time, enhancing the airport’s competitiveness, the development of future industries, and the revitalization of cultural tourism."

Mayor Choo and Governor Lee reaffirmed their commitment to drive forward the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk. They emphasized that the integration bill, currently pending in the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, must pass during this regular session at the latest so that the head of the integrated local government can be elected in the 2028 general elections and the integrated metropolitan city can be launched.

For this, they agreed to hold a "Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Roundtable" before the regular session, with the participation of all local National Assembly members and the two local government heads, in order to realize the public’s desire for integration and to convey the region’s collective voice to the National Assembly.

Governor Lee and Mayor Choo further agreed that a second phase of public institution relocations is essential as a key strategy for overcoming the capital-centric system and the crisis of regional decline.

Given that the government has stated its intention to give priority to relocating public institutions to the integrated metropolitan city, they noted that Daegu and Gyeongbuk have been leading the administrative integration process; as both local leaders have demonstrated resolute determination for integration, they agreed to work together to ensure Daegu and Gyeongbuk are granted a status equivalent to that of an integrated metropolitan city in the process of public institution relocations by the central government.

Choo Kyung-ho, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, stated, "There are more issues than ever that Daegu and Gyeongbuk must resolve together. We will work closely with Gyeongbuk to ensure that major projects, including the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, proceed without setbacks, and we will actively secure support from both the government and the National Assembly."

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, reiterated, "Daegu and Gyeongbuk share the same roots and can gain even greater competitiveness through cooperation. Once again, we have confirmed that both regions are united on major issues, such as the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport. We will do our utmost to ensure that the hopes and wishes of local residents— including the new airport and administrative integration— are realized as soon as possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.