Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam Governors to Hold First Policy Conference of the 9th Term in Busan on the 8th ... Ultra-wide Cooperation in Full Swing

The heads of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province will officially meet for policy discussions just 68 days after the start of the 9th term for local government officials.

On September 7, the South Gyeongsang Provincial Government held a briefing at the provincial government press center, announcing, "On the afternoon of September 8, the 4th Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Policy Conference will be held in Busan with Governor Wan-su Park of South Gyeongsang Province, Mayor Jae-su Jeon of Busan, and Mayor Sang-wook Kim of Ulsan participating."

The heads of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam are scheduled to attend the 'Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Metropolitan Connection Project' at BEXCO in Busan on the morning of September 8. Later that afternoon, they will hold a policy conference at a hotel in Haeundae, where they plan to announce a joint declaration.

Jae-su Jeon, Mayor of Busan (from the far left), Wansu Park, Governor of South Gyeongsang Province, and Sangwook Kim, Mayor of Ulsan. [Photo by Busan City, South Gyeongsang Province, and Ulsan City]

They will focus on discussing ways to establish a cooperative framework that connects Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam as a single living and economic zone, moving beyond formal cooperation to achieve tangible results.

In particular, they will review collaborative tasks requiring joint response in areas such as industry, transportation, daily life, and administration. They also plan to identify projects that can be more effective when pursued collectively and strengthen joint initiatives in those areas.

Additionally, the group intends to align their efforts with the government's balanced regional development policy, present a united voice, explore strategies to grow future engines of development for the region, and seek solutions for key pending issues.

The results of the meeting, following consultations among the three municipal and provincial governments, are set to be announced in the form of a joint declaration.

Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, which share the same living and economic spheres, formed the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Ultra-wide Economic Alliance in July 2023 during the 8th term of local government.

At that time, all three heads were members of the People Power Party: Wan-su Park as Governor of Gyeongnam, Hyung-joon Park as Mayor of Busan, and Doo-gyeom Kim as Mayor of Ulsan. They spearheaded the 'Ultra-wide Economic Alliance,' focusing on securing central government funding for joint projects, building a metropolitan economic zone, fostering new industries, and collaborating in the energy sector.

In addition, South Gyeongsang and Busan announced a 2028 administrative integration plan based on the following conditions: a bottom-up decision by local residents through a referendum, securing authority and status for the unified local government, and total integration of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam as a precondition. Ulsan stated its intention to join the integration if citizen approval is confirmed.

However, except for Wan-su Park, who won re-election as Governor of Gyeongnam in the 9th National Local Elections, the mayors of Busan and Ulsan changed to Jae-su Jeon and Sang-wook Kim, both members of the Democratic Party of Korea. As a result, the 9th term collaboration framework among Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam needs to be restructured.

Furthermore, both Jae-su Jeon and Sang-wook Kim pledged the immediate restoration of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Megacity during their campaigns. Mayor Jeon of Busan has reiterated his commitment to restoring the megacity since taking office. As a result, there is a strong possibility that both the collaboration among the three regions and potential administrative integration will proceed in a completely different direction from that of the 8th term.

Hae-nam Yoo, spokesperson for South Gyeongsang Province, stated, "The first Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Policy Conference of the 9th term marks the official beginning of ultra-wide cooperation, fueled by our collective hope to advance the region regardless of party affiliation." He added, "We will closely cooperate with Busan and Ulsan so that this goes beyond simple discussions and leads to concrete outcomes that residents of Gyeongnam as well as citizens of Busan and Ulsan can truly experience."

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