North Gyeongsang Province asks the People Power Party to support new airport construction and passage of the administrative integration bill

【Financial News, Andong = Reporter Kim Jang-wook】North Gyeongsang Province held a budget policy meeting with the People Power Party leadership on the 11th and requested cooperation on key issues, including the administrative integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province and support for new airport construction.
The province and the People Power Party said they held a budget policy meeting that day at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and agreed to join forces to resolve key provincial issues and secure national funding for 2027.
The province and the People Power Party organized the meeting that day to seek the inclusion, during National Assembly deliberations, of projects not yet included in the government’s proposed budget, as scrutiny of next year’s budget proposal gathers pace, and to share regional issues requiring political attention and support.
The province asked for cooperation to ensure that the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Special Act is passed during this Regular National Assembly session.
The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Special Act bill passed the Public Administration and Security Committee last February, but has been stalled in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for more than eight months.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “The mayors and provincial governors, along with the chairs of the city and provincial councils, agreed in October on enacting the special act within the year and launching the integrated special city in 2028.” He urged, “Since the People Power Party has also adopted it as party policy, please expedite its review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and help ensure that administrative and financial special provisions are guaranteed under the same principles and standards as Jeonnam-Gwangju.”
The province also conveyed that support was needed to pursue compensation to address the accumulated inconvenience faced by residents of the relocation site due to delays in the Daegu Gyeongbuk New Integrated Airport and related projects.
Daegu City had maintained that compensation should come after administrative integration, but changed its position in favor of compensation first following a four-party meeting last month involving the mayor, the provincial governor, and the chairs of the city and provincial councils.
The province sought support from the party to allow land and housing to be compensated first through loans from public funds.
It also requested an amendment to the special act to address the limitations of the donation-for-transfer scheme for new airport construction while strengthening the state’s responsibilities and obligations.
It stressed the need for swift passage of a bill to amend the special act, proposed by Rep. Park Hyung-soo, which would provide for North Gyeongsang Province to participate as a joint project operator, make state support for the difference under the donation-for-transfer scheme mandatory, and require the state to reimburse local governments for their upfront investment costs.
Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik said, “The administrative integration special act and the new airport are critical issues that will shape the region’s future. We will carefully review North Gyeongsang Province’s requests and support thorough discussion in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.”
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok also said, “We are very concerned that the Rural Basic Income, the Future Fund and other measures are constricting local government finances, and we will work to correct this.” He added, “Administrative integration and the new airport are national priorities, and the ruling and opposition parties alike must join forces on them.”
Meanwhile, Governor Lee stressed, “I will work as one team with the People Power Party until the final moment the budget is finalized so that projects to address the difficulties faced by businesses and residents of the province and prepare for the future can be included in the government budget.”
[email protected] Kim Jang-wook Reporter