Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea and Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party each visited the Chungcheong region on the 14th. With the government speeding up an administrative merger between Daejeon and South Chungcheong ahead of the June 3 local elections, the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties both visited the region to court voters.
The Daejeon–South Chungcheong administrative merger was pushed mainly by incumbent local government heads from the People Power Party under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. It was not a high-profile issue for the Democratic Party at the time, but discussion has picked up after President Lee Jae-myung proposed electing a single local government head in the June 3 local elections. The Democratic Party plans to pass a special law on the Daejeon–South Chungcheong administrative merger at a National Assembly plenary session by February.
On the morning of the day, leader Jang Dong-hyeok met Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo at Daejeon City Hall in Seo District, Daejeon, and in the afternoon met South Chungcheong Gov. Kim Tae-heum at the South Chungcheong Provincial Government in Hongseong, South Chungcheong, to hold policy consultations on the Daejeon–South Chungcheong merger.
In his meeting with Mayor Lee, Jang said, "For the merger talks to solve issues such as regional extinction, the Seoul metropolitan area's dominance, and balanced national development, a merger of Daejeon and South Chungcheong is necessary, and this started from a genuine intent to make it a proper model and spread it nationwide," adding, "If we do it the way the Democratic Party has done until now, like 'let's merge first and think later,' it is nothing but a political sleight of hand."
He continued, "For a Daejeon–South Chungcheong merger that can achieve true local autonomy, not only 257 special provisions but, if there is will (by the president or the Democratic Party), 260 or 270 special provisions must be included," stressing, "If special provisions are not included, merely combining administrative districts, or merging the mayor and governor to appoint a single special mayor, is meaningless."
In response, Mayor Lee said, "The biggest concern is that as the Democratic Party introduces a new bill, the 257 special provisions equivalent to local decentralization will be damaged," adding, "If the special provisions are undermined, it could remain at the level of a physical merger."
Later, in a meeting with Gov. Kim, Jang said, "What is needed is not a merger in name only or merely combining administrative districts, but a substantive administrative merger," and added, "To that end, the 257 special provisions must be faithfully reflected, and the party will do its utmost to ensure this stance is fully reflected."
Gov. Kim said, "Until now, the Democratic Party opposed it, then appears to be taking an active role at the president's direction. In that process, sufficient review has not been conducted, and with the local elections just around the corner, I worry that they may be trying to handle the special law by calculating political gains and losses," adding, "Setting aside political advantages and disadvantages, a bill must be prepared that fully incorporates various elements such as local decentralization and administrative efficiency."
On the same day, leader Jung Chung-rae also held an on-site supreme council meeting at the Seosan Livestock Comprehensive Center in Seosan, South Chungcheong, and stressed the swift promotion of the Daejeon–South Chungcheong administrative merger. He said, "We will make sure to achieve the Daejeon–South Chungcheong administrative merger," adding, "We will move quickly so that the law can pass the National Assembly as soon as possible and the June 3 local elections can be held as a unified city."
He went on, "The administrative merger is an issue that two metropolitan government heads from the People Power Party support and have pushed until now. We have embraced even issues raised by the People Power Party in a broad-minded way if they are for the development of South Chungcheong and Daejeon beyond party lines," adding, "Today's remarks by leader Jang during his visit to Daejeon and South Chungcheong seem somewhat suspicious. I hope this is not a process of creating an alibi to oppose the Daejeon–South Chungcheong administrative merger."