Early Realization of Daegu–Gyeongbuk (TK) Administrative Integration Paving the Way with Constitutional Logic

Newsis r 【Financial News Andong=Reporter Kim Jang-wook】"Through the enactment of the Special Act on Administrative Integration, we will boldly receive the central government's authority and finances to establish a solid foundation that enables local governments to design and take responsibility for their own future. Based on this, we will certainly achieve true balanced regional development.
" Gyeongbuk Province is drawing attention by taking steps to lay the legal groundwork to secure the legal and constitutional legitimacy of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration and to preemptively respond to the National Assembly's review.
The province will host the "8th Conference of Constitutional Scholars" at the Academy of Korean Studies in Andong for two days starting on the 28th, under the theme "The Constitution for the Future: Its Diagnosis and Solution.
" Beyond a simple academic event, this conference is expected to serve as an important opportunity to solidify the constitutional imperative for the early realization of the "Special Act on Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration," currently pending in the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and to explore concrete legislative response strategies.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "Daegu-Gyeongbuk “The entire local community, including residents and the Provincial Council, already deeply agrees with the necessity and overall direction of administrative integration,” he emphasized, adding, “Based on the legal achievements of constitutional scholars derived from this conference, we will actively persuade the National Assembly and devote all our efforts to passing the bill through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session.
” This academic conference holds great significance in that it brings together the nation’s top-tier constitutional experts in charge of the relevant research to examine the legal foundations that will enhance the completeness of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration.
During the conference, the fourth session, ‘Local Decentralization and Integration,’ in particular, will intensively shed light on key legal issues directly related to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration from various angles.
Experts plan to fundamentally analyze whether the integration between metropolitan and provincial governments and the granting of new legal status align with the principles of local autonomy guaranteed by the Constitution.
Furthermore, they will develop specific counterarguments to ensure that the distribution of affairs between the state and local governments aligns with the ‘principle of subsidiarity,’ and prove that special provisions granted to specific regions do not infringe upon the constitutional principle of equality but constitute ‘legitimate differentiation for balanced regional development.
’ We will further strengthen the legal rationale.
We will present standards for procedural legitimacy to preemptively prevent legal controversies regarding the proper reflection of residents' will, including the necessity of holding a referendum.
We plan to thoroughly discuss practical measures to ensure legal stability by reviewing in advance potential unconstitutional elements that may arise during the actual administrative system reorganization process—including the integration structure of metropolitan governments as well as organizational, personnel, and property succession.
Newsis r 【Financial News Andong=Reporter Kim Jang-wook】"Through the enactment of the Special Act on Administrative Integration, we will boldly receive the central government's authority and finances to establish a solid foundation that enables local governments to design and take responsibility for their own future. Based on this, we will certainly achieve true balanced regional development.
[email protected] Kim Jang-wook Reporter