Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Leaders Hold First Official Meeting ... Differences Remain on Megacity vs. Administrative Integration

The mayors and governors of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province (Gyeongnam) held their first official meeting since the launch of the 9th popularly-elected administrations and expressed a shared intention to pursue ultra-wide area cooperation. However, they were unable to narrow their differences regarding the method of regional integration.

On September 8, Jeon Jae-su, Mayor of Busan; Kim Sang-wook, Mayor of Ulsan; and Park Wansu, Governor of South Gyeongsang Province, convened the 4th Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Policy Council at the Western Chosun Busan Hotel. They discussed options such as the administrative integration of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province or the formation of a special megacity council, but only confirmed the differences in their viewpoints.

The 4th Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Policy Council is being held at the Western Chosun Busan Hotel.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

During the previous 8th term, South Gyeongsang Province and Busan jointly announced a plan for administrative integration in 2028, contingent upon three conditions: ▲ a bottom-up decision process via resident referendum, ▲ securing the authority and status of the integrated local government, and ▲ the premise of ultimate integration of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province. Ulsan also stated it would participate in administrative integration if citizen consent was obtained.

However, following the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections, discussions on the administrative integration of the three regions did not gain momentum. This was due to changes in leadership, with Jeon Jae-su of Busan and Kim Sang-wook of Ulsan, both members of the Democratic Party of Korea, replacing their predecessors. Meanwhile, only South Gyeongsang Governor Park Wansu was re-elected.

Moreover, both Jeon Jae-su and Kim Sang-wook pledged the immediate restoration of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Megacity during their campaigns. After taking office, Jeon Jae-su further reaffirmed his commitment to restoring the megacity structure.

At a press conference following the meeting, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-su stated, "There remain differences of opinion regarding whether we should pursue a megacity model or administrative integration, so we have decided to continue discussions. In Jeonnam and Gwangju, administrative integration has resulted in a number of problems. My position remains that establishing a special council similar to a megacity should be prioritized."

Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook said, "The three local leaders share the same general direction and recognize that Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province are bound as a community of common destiny—meaning that cooperation must be strengthened. However, we need to approach the specific means of implementation and the roadmap with careful consideration."

South Gyeongsang Governor Park Wansu commented, "My views on the roadmap and implementation procedures for administrative integration between Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, which were jointly announced with the Mayor of Busan during the 8th term, remain unchanged. Since the two mayors have only recently taken office, I believe it would be better to engage in additional discussions on this matter."

He added, "I am opposed to the creation of a special local government. While such entities are one method of handling wide-area administration under the Local Autonomy Act, if there are more efficient ways to address administrative efficiency, delegation of authority, or cost issues than the current method of wide-area administration, then I would support those alternatives."

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