Administrative Integration Deadline Nears: Opposition Demands Immediate TK Merger, Ruling Party Insists on Including Daejeon–South Chungcheong

The Financial News – On the 3rd, the legislative deadline for passing administrative integration bills before the June local elections, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in last-minute negotiations. As the People Power Party appealed to pass the special bill on integrating Daegu–Gyeongbuk (TK) immediately, the Democratic Party of Korea called on them to also accept the integration bill for Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province.
Floor leaders and senior officials from both parties, including Han Byung-do of the DPK and Song Eon-seok of the PPP, met at the National Assembly and agreed that the administrative integration legislation should be completed within the day, the final day of the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly. However, in response to the PPP’s request to fast-track the TK integration bill, the DPK demanded a public apology and acceptance of the Daejeon–South Chungcheong integration bill as preconditions.
Initially, the two parties had reached an agreement in the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee on integration bills for the Gwangju–South Jeolla region, TK, and Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province. But during deliberations in the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, opposition emerged within the PPP to the TK and Daejeon–South Chungcheong integrations, and only the Gwangju–South Jeolla integration bill cleared the National Assembly hurdle.
Afterward, amid backlash from TK lawmakers, the PPP settled on supporting only the TK integration bill and asked the DPK to convene the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a plenary session of the National Assembly. To make this possible, the DPK also halted its filibuster—an unlimited debate used to block votes under parliamentary rules—on several contentious bills that had been brought to the plenary session under its initiative.
The DPK acknowledges the need to pass the TK integration bill, but maintains that a public apology from the PPP for reversing its position and formal adoption of the bill as party policy are prerequisites. It has also added the demand that the Daejeon–South Chungcheong integration bill be handled at the same time.
Song, the PPP floor leader, has reacted angrily, calling this a move that mocks TK residents. Speaking to reporters immediately after the meeting, he said, “Even though we took the drastic step of abruptly ending the filibuster, they are not even convening the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. This is nothing short of mocking TK residents and acting obstinately,” and urged, “The Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session of the National Assembly must be convened today without fail.”
uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yoon-ho, Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter